Year Seven: The Rise and Fall of Heroes
by MakoEyes13
Summary: Post HBP. Dumbledores dead. THe Horcruxes still need to be found. A ghost from the past gives Harry a cryptic message about the prophecy. How far will Harry go to protect those he loves? Would he even go as far to team up with his worst enemy? Pair inside
1. Chapter 1: A Ghostly Warning

**Well I'm back to screw up more preconceived notions of what the story should be like. This time I'm doing it with Harry Potter. Like most fans of the series I was very upset with sixth book and most likely will be with the seventh book. That's why I started this soon after reading the sixth book and only just found it again. So here is my version of the seventh book. Hope you enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, nor do I own any of the characters. If I did the sixth book would have been way different.

* * *

**

**Chapter 1: The Ghostly Warning**

The night was dark and dreary, but very warm, it being summer and all. The moon and stars were veiled by the thick clouds overhead. Rain poured down on the rooftops of the houses of Little Whinging Surrey. The rain soaked the few people that were crazy enough to still be outside in the downpour. Summer rains could come quite suddenly in London and could continue for hours. At least it was a warm rain. The soft orange glow of the street lamps reflected dimly off of the wet pavement. Somewhere, the sounds of a far off train sounded throughout the neighborhood.

A young teenager stared out f the window of his room at Number 4 Privet Drive. It rained all of this week and was once again raining today; with no end in sight. The young man watched the torrents of rain wash over the rooftops with a blank look on his face. His skin was pale, almost as white as a sheet from various factors. A mop of messy ebony hair covered his head; his long bangs partially obscured his face. Deep, piercing emerald colored eyes offset the pale skin and dark hair. Perhaps the boy's most distinguishing feature was the lightning shaped scar on his forehead. This wasn't just any normal sixteen year old boy. No, he was a wizard. The scar marked him as Harry James Potter, The Boy Who Lived. The Chosen One. Harry received these titles by doing what no other witch or wizard could. He alone survived the wrath of the Dark Lord, Voldemort. Voldemort was the most feared wizard that the world had ever seen; Harry defeated him at the age of one.

That one encounter with the dark wizard had marred Harry's entire life. Destroying the dark lord had marked him as an instant celebrity. Sadly, his fame came at a dire price. Both of his parents died protecting him on that fateful night. No matter how hard he tried to not show it, it was apparent that the death of his parents had a profound affect on him. He didn't miss them because he technically never even knew them. You could just say that Harry missed out on having parents. Or even a real family for that matter. This wasn't the only way that he had been affected by the accident. Since that night danger, death and nightmares had been constant companions to him. Companions he would sooner be rid of.

In Harry's first year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry he and his best friends, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, took it upon themselves to protect the Sorcerer's Stone from Voldemort. That encounter had left him mortally wounded. In his second year at the school he had to enter the Chamber of Secrets to save Ron's little sister Ginny. Again, he was nearly killed while defying the dark lord. In year three Harry and Hermione had to save his godfather, Sirius Black, from the dementors. Year four started a trend that would follow him around for a couple of years. Harry was once again thrown into the spotlight when he was chosen as an entry for the prestigious Tri-wizard Tournament. The tournament sparked Voldemort's rebirth. During which his fellow participant and friend, Cedric Diggory, was murdered by one of Voldemort's subordinates. Just the mere memory of clinging to Cedric's lifeless body was enough to cause a breakdown. Fifth year was even more devastating. He led his friends into the Ministry of Magic in order to save Sirius. Little did he know that it was a setup that in the end would leave his friends injured and Sirius dead?

His sixth year should have been a little a different. Things were going his way at the beginning of the year. Because of the Half Blood Prince he was acing his potions course. He was finally allowed to play Quidditch again and his team was back on a winning streak. He finally even found a girlfriend in Ginny Weasley. However, he soon learned that Voldemort was using an ancient magic to construct Horcruxes. Horcruxes were items infused with a person's soul in order to obtain immortality. While searching for them, Albus Dumbledore was gravely wounded. Almost as soon as they returned Hogwarts Dumbledore was killed by the potions master, Severus Snape. Harry made one last promise to the old headmaster. He would find all of the Horcruxes and destroy Voldemort once and for all. Of course that meant breaking up with Ginny and once again throwing his life into disarray. Then again what else was new?

A tired yawn escaped Harry's mouth. Nightmares continuously plagued his sleep, giving him reason to stay awake. Every night the faces of Dumbledore, Sirius and Cedric came back to haunt him. Sometimes during the day he would see their images right in front of him. Though he had made peace with Sirius' death, his memory still pained him. For some reason he had never been able to forgive himself for Cedric and Dumbledore would take a while. Another thing that pressed heavily on his mind was his friends. He had sent them several letters about his dreams but received nothing in return. It was almost like they were avoiding him. In fact, he was so depressed that the dreary day almost seemed comfortable.

"**Boy! Get down here now!"**

Harry rolled his eyes; so much for the comforting day. Ever since he had come 'home' for the summer, his relatives had been ignoring him. What could they possibly want now? No doubt they needed him for some kind of mundane task. Heeding his uncle's call, Harry trudged out of his room and down the stairs. His 'family' was sitting in the abnormally clean living room. His skeletal, horse faced Aunt Petunia was sitting on the far end of the couch. Her hands were twitching in a very nervous fashion. Harry just wasn't so sure what she was nervous about. His fat whale of a cousin Dudley took up the other ¾ of the couch. His uncle, Vernon Dursley, a large mustachioed man was pacing in front of the disused fireplace. Vernon was again twisting his mustache in what he liked to call a thinking stance, his face turning an odd shade of puce. Harry decided that it would be best to wait for his instructions.

Uncle Vernon abandoned his stance and turned to address Harry. "Listen up boy." He growled in a deep voice. "The head executive of Gruunings and his wife are coming to dinner tonight." The large man began to pace back and forth as if he were a general giving a speech to his troops. "You are to go to the market and get groceries. Understood?" He asked gruffly.

"Yes Uncle Vernon," Harry answered in a monotone.

Aunt Petunia handed him a small piece of paper with several items listed on it. "Get everything on the list. No more, no less!" She snapped.

"Yes Aunt Petunia," Harry answered in the same dull tone.

"And don't be late!" Uncle Vernon growled.

"Yes Uncle Vernon."

"Boy are you getting smart with me!"

"Why no. I could never be smarter than you Uncle Vernon," Harry said patronizingly.

Before the veiled insult could be comprehended by Vernon's thick brain, Harry had on his coat and was out of the door. It seemed that the rain wasn't going to let up for him. With a sigh he ran a hand through his messy hair and set out on his way. In the mere five minutes that he was out in the rain he became completely soaked through. The young wizard stopped at a street corner to swipe his bangs from his eyes. Despite being completely soaked, his hair would not stay in place. A wry smile formed on his face when his bangs refused to move. There was just no taming it. Looks like there were some things that would never change.

While he walked, Harry found himself constantly looking over his shoulder. After years of a mad man trying to kill him, Harry had developed a slight paranoia. His right hand reached into his pocket and curled around the handle of his wand. Having his hand on the weapon gave the young mage a sense of comfort. He heard a whistling sound in his ear and turned around. There was nothing behind him at all. Just an empty street. Harry sighed and loosened the grip on his wand. He was just being paranoid, that was all. Harry closed his eyes and turned around to continue his walk.

The distant sound of a train's whistle brought back memories of an event that seemed to occur a lifetime ago. It was the first time he ever stepped foot on the large crimson train that would take him to Hogwarts. He was searching for a compartment to sit in, but most of them were already full. Finally he came across a compartment with a lone occupant. A young boy with flaming red hair and freckles stared at him when he walked in. Harry found a fast friend in the redhead. The two of them talked non-stop for hours while eating all sorts of magical candies. They were in there for a while before a young girl with bushy brown hair entered the room. Apparently she was searching for a toad that belonged to a boy named Neville. The girl had a bossy know-it-all attitude that got on Harry's nerves. Little did he know that the three of them would become good friends and go on impossible adventures together.

Getting lost in his thoughts, Harry was blinded as to where he was going. Although this wasn't much different from any other time that he walked Little Whinging at night. He knew this area like the back of his hand. Unfortunately fate had something else in store for him on this night. Suddenly a collision with a solid body knocked him off balance. He only managed to stay on his feet because of the quick reflexes he gained from Quidditch.

"God, I'm sorry." He began quickly.

"No! No! It was my fault. I…Harry? Harry Potter?"

Harry groaned. The last thing he needed was someone recognizing him. He looked up into the face of a pretty young woman. The girl was about a head shorter than him with long brown hair. She had warm honey colored eyes that were very inviting to others. Harry knew that he had seen this girl before when he was at school. The only problem was that he couldn't quite place a name with the face. Suddenly a redhead and a certain ten galleon bet entered his befuddled mind. What was she doing in muggle London and dressed in muggle clothes at that? Well there was only one way to find out.

"Penelope?" He asked cautiously. Penelope Clearwater smiled happily back at him. "It's been a long time. It's good to see you."

"You to Harry. But if I may ask, what are you doing out here on a night like this? It's not exactly the proper night to go out on a stroll."

"It's my dear relatives," Harry answered sarcastically. "I'm just trying to get to the market before I develop pneumonia and die."

"You mean this one?" Penelope asked, pointing to a sign that hung over the shop's door.

Harry smacked himself in the forehead. "Oh well. At least I'm alive. That's a big accomplishment for me!"

Penelope giggled in amusement at his antics. "Come on. Let's get inside before we catch our death of cold."

The two magically inclined people walked into the store, glad to be out of the rain. They took a minute to shake the water from their clothes before going any further. They each grabbed a shopping basket and strolled the store at a leisurely pace. Penelope didn't have a time limit to get back and Harry just didn't care. Harry didn't like the silence anymore. He finally had someone from the wizarding world and he wanted to talk to her.

"So what are you doing in muggle London anyways?" Harry asked.

"Oh, visiting my muggle grandmother," she answered.

"Really? Does your grandmother know that you're a witch?"

"Yes! She thinks that magic is a good way to get things done around the house. So she likes to have a witch or two around."

"Well at least all muggles aren't like my relatives," he said bitterly.

Penelope picked a box up from the shelf and dropped it into her basket. She didn't know Harry that well but she could tell that he didn't like his relatives. "So, um, how have you been?" She asked trying to change the subject.

Harry wanted to answer but his mind started to go over all of the things that happened in the past year at school. Dumbledore's death and the prophecy weighed heavily on his mind. The search for the Horcruxes had his brain burning day in and out. He didn't want to burden Penelope with all of his problems. Especially since he barely even knew her. She didn't need all of his problems on her mind.

"Fine," he lied. His voice raised an octave and became waver. "I-I suppose that you heard about Professor Dumbledore?" He asked cautiously.

Penelope nodded sadly. The mood between the two of them had become somber rather quickly. "Yes. I read about his death in the Daily Prophet. Is it true that Pr-professor S-Snape killed him?" Harry nodded grimly, his anger swelling up inside. "I remember that I cried for hours after I read the paper. Percy and I didn't get to stay very long at the funeral."

Harry suddenly stopped short. At the mention of the Weasley's prodigal son Harry began to bristle with anger. It took him a second to realize that Penelope was still talking to him.

"Harry? Harry?"

"How is Percy?" He asked, forcing himself to be nice.

"Well you know Percy. He's doing fine though. The Ministry has really been pushing him a lot lately. That's why he was only at the funeral for a brief minute. I just hope he slows down in time for the wedding."

Harry blinked in confusion and looked at the girl a little more closely. His eyes drifted to her hand and he noticed the diamond engagement ring on her finger. "Congratulations," he said in a forced tone.

Penelope blanched back at the iciness in his tone. For a second she wondered if he had really meant that. Before she could stop herself she asked, "You, don't think much of him do you?"

"On the contrary," Harry replied. This earned him a confused glance from the older witch. "I think that he's a colossal prat. The pompous git gave up his family for the bloody Ministry of Magic. Do you have any idea how much grief he's caused his parents? He needs a good kick in the-"

"**He's trying!"** Penelope shouted in her fiancés defense. Her outburst caught Harry off guard as well as several other market patrons that were now staring at them. Penelope took a quick breath to calm her and continued in a softer tone. "This is hard on him to, okay. He knows that he was wrong. But…he's very proud and stubborn. Something that he got from his parents. You don't know anything about him!"

Harry raised his hands in a gesture of peace. It was obvious that she was upset and the last thing that he wanted was an argument. The next few moments of shopping were spent in an awkward silence. Harry decided to apologize since the silence was annoying the hell out of him.

"Penelope, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you," he apologized quietly.

The brunette lowered her head, ashamed of her outburst. "Me to. I really shouldn't have snapped at you like that. I guess I'm just a little quick to defend him," she admitted sheepishly.

"You must really care about him then?"

Penelope nodded enthusiastically. "He means more to me than anything in the world. When you fall in love you might understand."

Harry snickered and picked up a box of pasta. "Yeah. I doubt that."

"You mean that you think you won't fall in love?" Penelope asked.

Harry shook his head. "It's not about that. I think that I already-"

"You think?" Penelope interjected. Harry peered back at her with a curious glance. "If you have to think then you haven't fallen in love yet. When you do you'll know."

After their little talk about love the shopping trip was rather quiet. It was twenty minutes later that the two of them found themselves outside the store and under the awning. It was still raining and Harry didn't feel like getting caught outside in the downpour again. He leaned back against the wall and pulled a small square package from his coat pocket. The box was royal blue with a red square in the middle. Harry pulled away the plastic that the box was wrapped in and popped open the top of the box. Penelope watched him pull out a slim white stick and place it between his lips. He placed the pack back in his jacket pocket, pulled out a lighter and lit the cigarette. He inhaled deeply and smiled at the calming affect the tobacco had on him.

"When did you start smoking?" Penelope asked, eyeing the cigarette.

Harry opened his eyes and looked at Penelope. He had almost forgotten that she was there. "I'm sorry. Does it bother you? Because I can stop."

"No!" Penelope answered quickly. "Actually I was hoping that I could have one," she said sheepishly. "Percy doesn't like me smoking."

Harry smiled and held the pack out to her. "He's probably worried." Penelope nodded and took a cigarette out from the pack. Harry accepted the pack back from her and lit her cigarette. "Good?" He asked.

Penelope took a deep drag on the cig and exhaled. "Very. Thank you Harry."

"Don't mention it."

The two continued to smoke their cigarettes and make small talk. Penelope didn't have to be back anytime soon and Harry didn't care about getting back. Harry finished his cigarette first and stomped it out on the ground. He exhaled the smoke from his mouth and raised his arm to look at his watch. He didn't really care about his uncle's business dinner, but he also didn't want to have another fight with him for being late. Something was on his mind though. After his conversation with Penelope his mind was a mass of tangles and confusion. It wasn't until Penelope leaned down to pick up her own bags that he was snapped from his thoughts.

"How far of a walk is it for you Harry?" Penelope asked with a smile.

"About an hour. Why?"

Making sure that no one else was around Penelope pulled out her wand. "Reducio." She whispered, waving the wand over Harry's grocery bags.

Harry watched the bags of groceries shrink down to the size of an ink well. He smiled and picked up the bags to pocket them in his jacket. "That should help a lot. Thanks." There was an awkward silence until Harry spoke up again. "I should get going. I don't want to get into another row with my uncle."

Penelope sighed and nodded. "I guess I had better get going to. My gran is probably worried sick about me. Bye Harry!" She waved and started to run towards an alley.

"Penelope!" The brunette turned around and gave Harry a quizzical smile. "Tell Percy to send me an owl. I want to talk to him."

Penelope nodded ecstatically at the idea. She knew that despite Percy's readiness to agree with the Ministry, he actually liked Harry. "I will. Thank you Harry. Be careful on the way home! By the way the bags will return to normal size in about an hour. So don't dilly-dally!"

"I won't," he said with a laugh. "You be careful to!"

Penelope waved over her shoulder as she ran across the street. Harry watched her until he could no longer see the girls retreating back. Sighing, he decided to continue on his way. It had stopped raining but the night had gotten considerably colder. He could see a white vapor rise every time that he took a breath. Figures he would have to be out side on a night that was freezing cold. Wait a second? Freezing cold? Since when did it get this cold in the middle of summer? That didn't even happen in Britain. The hair on the back of his neck began to stand on end. The only time that he ever got that feeling was when dark forces were around. He felt the familiar feeling of being watched by something. _'Or something,'_ He though, remembering the time that he saw the big black dog in the summer before his third year. Harry pushed the thought from his head and picked up the pace a little.

He turned down a street and took comfort in the familiar surrounding. To his left were a row of houses that reminded him greatly of his godfather's house at #12 Grimmauld Place. True these houses didn't appear to be as rundown or decorated in the same creepy architecture as the old house. However, here in the dark it was really hard to tell the difference. He could almost imagine the snake like banisters and the creepy house elf heads mounted on the wall. Harry found himself longing of the day that he would get to leave the Dursley's' house and get to go back to the creepy old house. Would it be the same without Sirius though? Even though they used the house for the Order of the Phoenix it would still feel lonely without Sirius there. Just as Harry passed the last house he felt a particularly cold chill down his spine. It was like an icy knife had just cut through his jacket. If there was somebody following him he had to take care of the problem right now.

'_This is no problem,' _Harry thought. All he had to do was remember anything he had learned from his past duels. _'Okay. Tonks always told me to never draw my wand unless I was sure something was there.'_

Harry reached up and pushed his glasses further up the bridge of his nose; meanwhile his right hand was reaching for his wand. His eyes shifted down to the puddle that was just to his right, hoping to catch a reflection. In the darkness he could just barely make out the distorted reflection of a figure dressed in black. So there was someone there after all! Harry took a deep breath to steel himself and his fingers wrapped around his wand. Mentally counting to three he drew the wand and spun around. He crouched low and pointed his wand out towards the empty street. There was no one there at all. Not even a cat or dog. Just an empty street. Harry sighed in annoyance with his actions and straightened up. He placed his wand back in his pocket and shook his head.

"Great. Now I'm seeing things," he muttered.

"_Yeah mate. I think you're losing your mind," _his mind teased.

"Good then I'll be rid of you," Harry growled. He knitted his brow and smacked himself in the forehead. "Now I'm answering my own questions. Excellent. I've gone completely crackers."

Harry sighed for what must have been the thousandth time that night. He turned around and found that he was on the wrong end of a wand. Harry leapt back and pulled out his own wand. "Who are you?!" He demanded.

Standing in front of him was a figure that was draped entirely in black. He wore a large hooded cloak that fell all the way down to his ankles. Across the front of the cloak was a silver chain that traveled from one shoulder to the other. A long zipper held the cloak closed. The figure held his wand firmly in his gloved hand. The figures face was completely shrouded in the shadows of the hood. Harry squinted in an attempt to look at his face but couldn't see past the hood. If the figure wasn't holding a wand Harry would have thought him a dementor.

Harry steadied the hand that he held his wand with and glared at the mysterious stranger. "Who are you?" He asked again, in a firmer voice.

The figure in front of him smiled behind the cloak. "Very good Harry," he said in a masculine but calm voice. "Though if I was serious, you would be dead right now."

Harry's green eyes widened like dinner plates. "H-How do you kn-know my name?"

"You don't tend forget the last person you see. Now please, lower your wand. I am not your enemy," he said in a melancholic tone.

"Yeah?" Harry asked dubiously. "Well the wand that you're pointing in my face says differently."

The figure laughed and lowered his wand. "Looks like Moody has been teaching you well."

"Who are you?!" Harry tried again. "You know who I am and you know who Moody is!" He was starting to lose his temper with the strange man.

"Same old Harry. To be fair, the two of you are very popular in our world." Harry gritted his teeth but kept his wand leveled on the man in front of him. "Enough with the small talk though. I'm here to give you a message."

Harry's eyes narrowed slightly at this new bit of information. He lowered his wand and glared curiously at the man. "What kind of a message?"

The man crossed his arms over his chest and nodded. "The wizarding world is in danger Harry. Voldemort's forces have been growing in number. Death Eaters have continued to sweep over England like a plague; destroying all those who stand in their lord's way. He has recruited all manner of dark creatures and his power is steadily growing. The Ministry has lost many aurors and the order has also taken heavy losses." He stopped to make sure that Harry was paying attention and continued. "You are in grave peril Harry. With Dumbledore gone, Voldemort has become much bolder in his attacks."

Harry blinked in surprise. "How do you know all of this?! Who are you?!"

The cloaked figure smiled at Harry. Instead of saying anything he turned with a flourish of his cloak and bolted down the street. Taken aback by the sudden action Harry stood frozen on the spot for a second. As soon as his muddled brain had figured out what happened he took off after the man at top speed. The man was leading him on a wild goose chase down the streets of his neighbor hood. The man was fast and the only way that Harry could keep up was that he knew the area. He saw the man turn onto Magnolia Crescent and he decided to take a shortcut. Harry cut across the lawn of one of the houses and leaped a fence. The man was back in sight and Harry chased him all the way to the park. Finally the cloaked figure stopped in front of the gates to the park and turned to look at Harry.

Harry stopped in front of the man and drew his wand. He pointed the weapon directly at the man's heart and smirked. "This is as far as it goes," he said in a slightly labored voice. "Try to run again and I'll hex you into oblivion."

"I bet that you could…D.A. leader."

Harry grimaced in anger again. _'How come you know so much about me?'_

"That should be obvious by now Potter. I know you."

"A Legilimens?" Harry asked in mild surprise. "Can you guess what I'm thinking now?"

"Besides you wondering about my identity?" Harry nodded. "You're wondering about what my message is. Well, here it is." The man reached up and yanked the hood back from his head. The lack of a hood revealed a handsome face framed by shoulder length brown hair. Grey eyes stared at Harry mischievously, a scar starting at the chin traveled down the length of his neck. "Surprised," the man asked.

Harry's grip on his wand started to loosen. His hand was shaking so badly that the wand dropped from his hand. The wooden instrument fell and hit the pavement with a dull clank. Harry fell to his knees soon after, he couldn't believe what or rather who he was seeing.

"H-h-how? Is…is it really you?" The man nodded and Harry shook his head. "No! You're dead! It's impossible! You have to be a ghost!"

The young man smiled. "I assure you Harry that I am just as real as you are."

"B-but how?"

"I'm sorry. I don't have enough time to explain that now. I can only give you this message." The vibrant smile on the young man's face disappeared and he suddenly became very serious. "They say that the only wizard Voldemort ever feared was Albus Dumbledore. But there is one other. The prophecy is getting closer day by day Harry. Start your training now. New alliances have to be formed in order ward off the coming darkness. Accept the hand of an enemy to receive a great ally; welcome those you never thought of. Keep the one who means most to you close, you'll need them in order to bring back the light. Do you understand?"

Harry shook his head, a stunned look plastered on his face. He didn't even notice that it had begun to rain again. He picked up his wand and stood to face the man in front of him. "I don't. I don't understand any of this."

The young man laughed. "Embracing the view of all four Hogwarts Houses may help. In time you will understand." He smiled and placed a hand on Harry's shoulder making him shiver. "Harry I understand that you must be scared. But trust in my words and your own abilities. I will keep as close a watch on you as I can. I believe in you Harry James Potter."

The man started to waver and disappear from the feet up. "No! Don't go yet! I need to ask you something! I have so many questions!"

"All in time," the young man whispered.

Harry watched as the messengers head disappeared into thin air. For a minute all Harry could was stand in the rain and stare down at his wand. Everything that had just happened was impossible, even by wizarding standards. It was impossible for people to come back from the dead. Once you were gone that was it. Yet, somehow this young man had found a way to cheat death. Then again so had Voldemort. The difference in their power levels was too vast though. How had he found a way to cheat death as well? And how come he didn't make himself known sooner? What was with that cryptic message and how did he know about the prophecy. These questions and more assaulted Harry's mind until he heard a beeping sound. He looked down at his watch and his eyes widened; he was going to be late.

Harry took off don the street as fast as his legs could carry him. He wasn't too worried about getting the groceries back late; he wanted to send a message to Remus. He needed someone to talk to about this new situation. He tore past house after house not paying much attention to where he was going. Before he knew it he had reached Number 4 again. He hurried across the tidy lawn. Inside of his jacket pocket he could feel the bags of groceries starting to expand. He was going to make it just in time.

Harry reached the front door and flung it open. He stepped inside the house dripping wet from head to toe. He reached in his pockets and pulled out the groceries just before they returned to their full size. He dropped the bags onto the floor with a loud thump just as Vernon and Petunia entered into the hall.

"**Your late boy!" **Vernon roared. **"Where the bloody hell have you been?! And what's the big idea of coming in here all wet!"**

Petunia patted her husband on the arm and pointed to the wand that was still clutched in Harry's hand. The color drained from Vernon's face and he took a step back. Harry looked at his relatives with a blank stare on his face. Instead of saying anything he tore up the stairs towards his room. He was most likely going to be sent there for the night anyways. He dodged around Dudley (which is no small feat) and threw open the door to his room. He turned around and slammed the door shut, startling his owl Hedwig. He ignored the wild hooting for now and rushed over to his trunk on the ground. He ripped open the lid of the trunk and pulled out a fresh sheaf of parchment. He ripped a piece off and walked back to his desk. He grabbed a quill and dipped it in ink before writing.

_Remus,_

_I hope that you are doing well. Unfortunately, this is not a friendly chatting letter. Something happened tonight. Something that makes no sense whatsoever. I need to talk with you immediately! Please come as soon as you possibly can!_

_Harry_

Harry rolled up the piece of parchment and grabbed a bit of string. He walked over to Hedwig and poked her in the side. "Oi wake up!" Hedwig jolted and hooted indignantly but Harry ignored her. "I know that it's raining, but I need you to deliver this to Lupin. Do you think you're up for it?" Hedwig puffed her chest out proudly and offered her leg to him. "That's my girl," Harry praised.

After tying the note to her leg and giving her a treat he walked over to the window. He threw open the latch and held his arm out. Hedwig nipped him on the hand before taking off in a flurry of flapping wings. Harry watched the faithful owl fly until he could no longer see her in the night sky. He shut his window and ran a shaky hand through his soaked hair. Deciding that he didn't care that he was wet, he laid down on his bed. No matter how hard he tried he just couldn't wrap his mind around what had happened earlier that night. The identity of the cloaked figure had been too much to bear on its own. The words that followed didn't seem to help any.

Harry rested his head on his pillow and his eyes started to flutter closed. His last thought before sleep claimed him was, "How have things gotten so out of control."

Harry closed his eyes and was steadily taken over by the darkness. Ready for another night of restless sleep.

* * *

**End Chapter**

**Well that's the end of the first chapter. I would appreciate some reviews to let me know what you guys think. Just remember that the legal age for buying tobacco in England is 16 and the legal drinking age is 18.**

**I bet you guys want to know who the cloaked figure was? Too bad. You just have to wait for the next chapter. Also if anyone cares to try: Guess what type of cigarette Harry smokes and I'll give you an honorable mention at the beginning of the next chapter. Anyways, thanks for reading, hope you enjoyed it so far! Till next chapter! **


	2. Chapter 2: Life's Changes

**There hasn't been much response to this fic, but that's okay. The reason I'm writing it is because HBP made me cry. I have to fix it.**

* * *

**Chapter 2: The Change**

_Tap Tap Tap _

There was that sound again. Whatever it was wouldn't stop and it was driving Harry steadily insane. All he wanted to do was get some more sleep and that bloody tapping wouldn't stop. There were only two things that Harry could think of that would make that tapping sound. The neighbors were remodeling their house yet again. An activity that led Aunt Petunia to believe that there was some illegal activity occurring. The only other thing that he could think of was that Hedwig had returned with his reply from Lupin. But that couldn't be it; he had only sent that letter last night. So it had to be the neighbors working on their house again. With that concluded Harry grabbed the pillow and buried his head underneath it.

_Tap Tap Tap Tap Tap _

The tapping was more rapid and more insistent this time. Also it sounded just a little different than that of a hammer on wood. Harry removed the pillow and sat up I bed. He searched around for his glasses and put them on. After a second, his vision was able to adjust and he could see Hedwig sitting on the window sill. How had she gotten to Remus and back so quickly? Was she even able to make it through the rain! Harry threw off the covers of his bed and ran to unlock the window. Hedwig flew into the room and perched herself on Harry's arm. The snowy owl held out her leg to show him the piece of parchment that was tied there. Harry took the piece of paper from her and she flew back up to her cage to roost.

Harry blinked stupidly at the small piece of paper in his hand. "How did you get there and back so quickly?"

In response, Hedwig merely hooted and then covered her head with her wing. Harry shrugged and unrolled the bit of parchment in his hand. Immediately he was able to recognize Remus' tidy scrawl.

_Harry_

_I have to make this quick. Meet me in the muggle playground at 7:00. I'll be on the swing set. And be careful Harry. The Order is still watching you; I think Mundungus is on guard duty right now._

_Remus_

Harry blinked at the haste with which the letter had been written. Why was Remus in such a hurry to meet up with him? True, he had said that he needed to talk right away. He just didn't think that it would have this much of an effect on the lycan. Harry sighed and looked down at his watch. He did a double take when he realized what time it was. He only had ten minutes to get to the park and meet Remus! Not bothering with a shower, he wouldn't have any time anyways; he threw on his jacket and shoes. If he wanted to get past the Order he would also need a way of sneaking out of the house. Harry reached into his trunk and pulled out a silver cloak. Harry draped the coat over his shoulders and his body became translucent. It was nice to know that his dad's old invisibility cloak was still working just fine. He covered his head with the cloak and walked out of his room.

Harry made his way down the stairs as quietly as he could. If possible he didn't want to have to deal with the Dursleys either. When he made it to the front door Harry gave the knob a twist and opened the door just enough for him to slide out. Once outside he closed the door and looked for any sign of the order members. All he heard was something that resembled snoring. Making sure no one was around; he removed the invisibility cloak and stuffed it in his jacket pocket. Harry turned towards the bushes where he heard the snoring sound from. He reached over and pulled back the bushes, not at all surprised at what he saw.

Lying in the bushes was a man in a beaten trench coat that smelled very strongly of fire whiskey. Remus was right about who was on guard that day. Harry sighed and picked up the invisibility cloak that was lying next to Mundungus. He draped the cloak over the drunken wizard in the hopes that no one would notice him. If the Dursleys saw him lying in their bushes there would be hell to pay. After Harry was done he took off towards the park at a run. Luckily he had been working out and his years of outrunning danger had kept him in fairly good shape. Just as he reached the park entrance, he could see Remus getting up to leave. Gathering what little breath he had left, he called out to the older wizard.

"Remus! Remus wait!" He called out breathlessly.

Remus turned around and smiled. As he got closer Harry could see that the former teacher was looking pale again and his hair seemed to turn a shade grayer. His cloak that he didn't bother to change out of was frayed and worn with patches. Harry knew that it was probably nothing to worry about. Remus always looked that way since the first day that he met him.

"How are you doing cub?" Remus asked. He held his arms out and gave Harry a brief hug. "What did you need to see me about? Is your scar acting up again?"

"Whoa! Slow down Remus!" Harry said, patting him on the shoulder. He motioned to a bench and the two of them sat down side by side. Harry looked at Remus with a somewhat reassuring look. "My scar is just fine. That's not the reason that I called you here."

"Then what is?"

Harry took a deep breath before asking his next question. "Is it normal to see spirits? Outside of Hogwarts I mean."

Remus gave Harry a confused look and shook his head. "I don't understand. You mean like the spirit of someone who has died?" Harry nodded. "Usually you have to be born with a special ability to channel spirits like that, especially if the person was murdered."

"That's what I thought," Harry responded grimly.

"Why? Who did you see?"

"Before I tell you, I want you to know that he may not have actually been a spirit. That was a guess." Remus nodded and motioned for Harry to continue with the story. "It-it was…Cedric Diggory."

Remus stared at Harry as though he was growing a second head. "You mean Amos Diggory's son? Harry… that's impossible. Cedric is dead. I know that you feel guilty about that but you can't let your imagination get the better of you!"

"**This was not my imagination!" **Harry shouted, jumping up from the bench. **"Cedric was right there! He held a wand in my face!"**

Remus stood up and placed a comforting hand on Harry's shoulder. "Okay! I'm sorry! I didn't mean to make you mad! We can't figure anything out if we're angry." Harry took a deep breath and nodded. "Good. Now, did he say anything that might indicate he was a fake?"

Harry shook his head. "N-no. But he was real Remus," he said, trying to stay calm. "I know he was. I could just kind of feel it."

"Did he say anything to you at all?"

"He…gave me a warning."

"What kind of warning?" Remus narrowed his eyes suspiciously.

Harry repeated the warning for Remus word for word. When he was finished he looked up at Remus hopefully. "What do you think it means?"

Remus sighed and shook his head. "…I don't know what to think Harry."

"But you do believe me! Right!"

"Harry it's impossible to bring someone back from the dead," Remus replied. He noticed the crestfallen and annoyed look on Harry's face. The younger wizard seemed very adamant about this and he was usually right. "…Okay. Have you told anyone else about this?" Remus asked with a sigh.

Harry shook his head. "I would tell Ron and Hermione but they seem to be avoiding me."

"I wouldn't know anything about that." Remus scratched his chin and nodded. "Let's keep this thing between you and me. I want to research this a bit more before we go using it as viable information."

Harry nodded in understanding. He smiled at the former marauder and said, "Thanks professor. I appreciate this."

"Appreciate what?"

"I never realized that you always come to help me out. Even before I really knew you."

Remus laughed heartily and shook his head. "Don't worry about that cub. And didn't we agree that you would call me Remus?"

Harry also laughed and nodded. Standing here with Remus almost made him forget about Cedric's warning and his friends' lack of response. "Old habits."

"I know what you mean. So are you ready to go?"

"Go where?" Harry asked in confusion.

"I have some business to attend to for the order in Dagon Alley," he said with a slightly apprehensive grin. "Was wondering if you wanted to tag along."

Harry nodded enthusiastically. "You bet! It hasn't even been a month and I'm already losing it!"

"Thought you might." Remus' grin suddenly turned wolfish and Harry got the image of a much younger Lupin that was back from his marauding days. "I heard you learned to apparate." Harry became even more confused. "Let's see if you can keep up. Meet me at the Diagon Entrance!"

Before Harry could bring up the fact that he didn't have an apparating license it was too late. Remus closed his eyes and vanished with a crack. Harry looked around frantically, hoping that Remus hadn't really disappeared. He himself had only apparated one time and that was out of pure desperation. This was no big deal, he began telling himself. Last time he had to apparate to a place he had never been to before and had to help someone else do it. This time it was just him and it was to a place he had been often. Harry thought about the brick wall that would lead him to Diagon Alley. He thought about the piled up trashcans, the litter, and the random cat that usually inhabited the entrance. Harry gave his body a sharp twist and he disappeared with a crack.

There was a very unpleasant sensation that surrounded Harry. It was like he was being squeezed through a thin tube at very high speeds. The feeling didn't last long though. At least not as long as the first time he had done it. Before he knew it he was pulled from the 'tube' and landed on his knees on the dingy concrete. He lifted his head and saw a hand reach out to him. He followed the arm all the way up to Remus' smiling face and finally accepted the proffered hand. Remus pulled Harry to his feet and clapped him on the back.

"Just as I expected. Well done Harry," he said with a laugh.

"Do-do you ever get u-used to that?" Harry asked curiously. "And won't I get in trouble for this?"

"You mean the tube feeling?" Harry nodded. Remus was the only other person he had heard describe apparition that way. "Eventually. And don't worry. The ministry has their hands too full to deal with illegal apparition." He turned around and pulled his wand from his pocket. He tapped three bricks on the wall in front of them and waited.

The brick wall began to shake and the bricks started to fold back. Eventually the whole wall seemed to just fold in on itself and disappear. Harry was greeted by the sight of hundreds of witches and wizards bustling around the shopping center. Harry loved Diagon Alley. Being there always made him feel more at home than his place at the Dursleys. Harry saw Remus begin to walk and started following him through the crowd. Diagon Alley seemed a lot more crowded than it normally did at this time of year. The biggest crowd usually appeared when it was time to go back to school; students would be running around to try and acquire their school supplies. Harry watched some kids get excited over the brooms in Quality Quidditch Supplies and smiled. He remembered the first broom he had ever got and felt a jolt of happiness. He had always loved flying. Harry followed Remus as he led them past Madam Malkins and Ollivander's wand shop.

"Ollivanders!" Harry shouted, pointing at the store. The last time he had seen it the windows were all boarded up and the shop abandoned. But now it looked like the store was open back again. "Is it back open?"

Remus smiled at Harry. "Mr. Ollivander was captured by Death Eaters and imprisoned. They were forcing him to make wands, but old Ollivander wouldn't do it. The Order found out where they were holding him and we went to rescue him," Remus explained.

"Is he crazy?! Why would he go back into business when he knows that Voldemort is after him?"

"Not many people know this, but Ollivander was in the first incarnation of the Order of the Phoenix." Harry looked genuinely surprised by this bit of information. No one else in the order ever mentioned him. "He may be getting on in years but the fight is still in his heart."

Harry couldn't help but feel respect for the craftsman. Many people would run and hide if they found out that Voldemort was after them. It seemed like there were still a few people willing to fight back against the dark lord after all. The Order was a good example for that. Speaking of that; what did Remus have to do for the Order?

"Remus," Harry began, "Where are we going anyways?"

"Gringotts," Remus replied. "There's something that I need to pick up from there."

Harry nodded numbly. Gringotts was the wizard bank run by goblins. The last time a member of the Order had to pick something up from Gringotts, he was the one that had to defend it. Nevertheless Harry followed Remus up to the large white building and through the front doors. Inside the main entrance were several desks with small creatures sitting behind them. Harry eyed the goblins wearily; he knew that goblins were tricky creatures. They walked up to one of the desks and waited patiently. The goblin glared over his paper at the two wizards and sighed.

"What can I do for you?" He snarled.

Lupin merely smiled and held out a piece of paper. "Were here to retrieve something from the vaults."

The goblin read the piece of paper then looked at Harry and Remus in turn. He jumped down from his chair and motioned for another goblin to join him. Another goblin, dressed in the same old time uniform waddled over to them. Harry recognized the goblin almost instantly and smiled at him.

"Hello Griphook," he greeted.

The second goblin looked up at Harry in mild surprise. "Mr. Potter? You remember me?"

Harry scratched the back of his head in confusion. "Why wouldn't I?"

"Most wizards cannot tell the difference between one goblin and the other," Griphook explained gruffly.

"Griphook," the other goblin growled. "Take Mr. Potter down to his vault. Mr. Lupin and I have some business we need to take care of."

Griphook nodded. "Mr. Potter, follow me please."

Harry looked up at Remus but the lycan just smiled. "Go ahead. This will take a while. Get some money from your vault and go shopping. We'll meet up at Florean Fortesques Ice Cream Shop in about 2 hours. That's right, he's back as well." Remus started to follow the goblin when he thought of something. "And about the money Harry."

Harry nodded and waved his hand airily. "I know. I know. Don't go spending it on useless things."

"What are you insane?" Remus cried. "You're still young. Go nuts!" He said with a small laugh and followed the goblin down a separate hall.

"Are you ready to go Mr. Potter?" Griphook asked a little impatiently.

Harry nodded and smiled. "Right. Sorry!"

Harry blinked and his grip on the railcar loosened slightly. The ride down to the vaults seemed much faster than it had in previous years. And was that Acromantula he saw? When did they get one of those?

"Here we are," Griphook announced. He stepped out of the cart and grabbed the lantern as well. "May I have your key Mr. Potter?"

Harry looked at Griphook with an apologetic smile. "My key? I don't have it. I didn't know that I was coming here today."

Griphook sighed and pulled a key ring out of his pocket. The weirdest thing about the ring was that it only had one key. Griphook walked up to the vault with Harry following behind on shaky legs. The goblin inserted the key into the lock and gave it a twist. The intricate locks on the door clicked open and the door slid open. Mountains of gold, silver and bronze coins shone brightly in the dim light of the lantern. Harry walked into the vault and started to pile some of the gold and silver into a pouch. He took his time in the vault and took an appropriate amount of money. When he was done he walked back out and nodded to Griphook. The goblin locked the vault and they got back in their car to start the journey back to the surface.

The ride back to the surface was uneventful. Except for the fact that Harry could have sworn he saw a manticore on the way back. They were really taking their security to the next level. Griphook bade Harry to follow him and the wizard did so.

"Now Mr. Potter we have some more business to discuss." Griphook walked over to a desk and jumped up into a chair. "My superior has told me to supply you with this."

Griphook reached into his desk and pulled out a brown envelope. He handed it to the confused Harry and motioned for him to open. Harry opened the envelope and pulled out a small black pouch. On the front of the pouch were the initials H.J.P. in fancy silver script. Harry looked into the envelope gain and pulled out two plastic cards. Harry looked at the items and then Grip hook for an explanation.

"I see you are confused," the goblin surmised. Harry nodded and Griphook smiled. "The pouch is something given to premier members of Gringotts. This pouch allows you to carry up to a thousand galleons at one time. First you have to set up a password. When you run out of money tap the bag with your wand, speak the password, and you pouch will be filled again. Just remember that the money is subtracted from your vault. Do you understand?"

Harry nodded. "I think so. I just need to set up a password and tap the bag when I run out of money?"

"Correct. If you lose the pouch we can replace it. Don't worry, once you set up the password the bag will only respond to your magical aura." Griphook picked up the cards and showed them to Harry. "Notice these cards? Good. They act exactly like muggle credit and debit cards. Use them wisely." He said handing them back to Harry.

"…I will thank you. But I'm not a premier member am I?" Harry asked curiously.

"He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, is bad for business," Griphook replied. "The Head Goblin seems to have faith in you Mr. Potter. This is his small way of helping."

Harry's eyes narrowed. So it wasn't just the wizards that had faith in him. So many people relying on him started to grate on his nerves. Instead of arguing though, he decided to ask another question.

"Is there any way I can change some of this into muggle money?"

After receiving all of his instructions on how to use the cards, pouch and getting some of his coins exchanged for muggle money Harry went to the streets. He decided that he might as well look around a few shops before he had to meet Remus.

"I can get money from anywhere as long as my vault doesn't run empty," he whispered. He held the now full pouch in his hands. "Remus said I should enjoy it. So where do I go first."

As he walked several pairs of eyes automatically followed him wherever he went. Most of the people that looked his way immediately looked to the scar on his forehead. Some of the people were looking at him like he was a celebrity while others looked at him as if he were a crackpot. For the most part he was able to ignore the whispers when he walked by. For some reason, this time it felt like he was being watched a little too closely. In a desperate attempt to avoid the stares he ran into the nearest store. The store he had run into was one that he had never seen before. It was small with hundreds of quidditch posters and Daily Prophet articles posted on the walls. There were three chairs that vaguely reminded Harry of the chairs in muggle barbershops. On the right side of the room there was a glass case that contained different types of jewelry. It was a rather weird looking place in Harry's opinion.

"What can I do for you?" Asked a gruff voice.

Harry turned his attention to the man in front of him and almost took a step back out of instinct. The man was the definition of biker. He was wearing black leather pants and a matching leather vest. His arms were big and muscular, like they could crush steel. Traveling along the length of the man's right arm was a large tattoo of a red and blue phoenix. Harry's eyes traveled up to the man's slightly plump face. He looked friendly but his face had an edge to it. Much like someone who had seen more than his share of fights. He had a Van Dyke, his nose was pierced with a silver stud, and he wore a red bandanna over his shaved head. Despite this the man looked like he was a nice person.

"What can I do for you mate?" He asked in a deep but almost jovial voice.

Harry scratched the back of his head in confusion. He didn't want to tell the man that he had wandered in here to get away from the crowd. "I was feeling a little crowded and wanted to see what this place was."

"Tired of the people looking at ya?" He guessed.

Harry nodded dumbly. "S-so what so you do here?" His eyes were once again drawn to the jewelry in the display case.

"We make a new you," the man replied. "We do tattoos, piercing, and even haircuts." He took off his bandanna and pointed to his bald head.

Harry chuckled and smiled. "I see."

"Do you want anything done today?"

"…Yeah. Put me down for all three." Harry looked up at him with a calm smile. He didn't want people to recognize him anymore. And a new look wouldn't hurt him either.

"Very good. My name is Wesley by the way. What's yours mate?"

"Potter. Harry Potter."

"Of course." Wesley looked at Harry and extended his hand. Harry was pleasantly surprised that Wesley didn't look at his scar and shook hands with him. "Call me Wes.

"If you didn't see my scar then how do you know who I am?"

"You're in my Quidditch for Fanatics book. You made it in for being the youngest seeker at Hogwarts in over a century. With a surprising record to. Sit in that chair over there."

Harry sat down in one of the barbershop like chairs. "I didn't think that it was some kind of record."

"Oh but it is. We're going to start with the hair first. What would you like me to do?" Wesley sat in a wheelie chair next to Harry.

"I'm not sure what you can do." Harry shrugged at this. "My aunt tried to cut my hair once but it just grew back."

Wesley stroked his chin thoughtfully. "Did you like the haircut that she gave you?" Harry pulled a disgusted face and shook his head. "Ha! Ha! That's why. Perhaps your magic acted subconsciously and that's why your hair grew back." Harry thought about the possibility and shrugged. "Anyways, if you like the cut, your hair shouldn't really change."

Harry smirked. He had wanted to get rid of his hair for a long time. Besides his scar it was the thing he hated most about himself. "Is it possible to make my hair long and have it lay flat?"

"How long do you want it?"

"I don't know. Um, down to my shoulders."

"You got it boss." Wesley took out his wand and waved it over Harry's head while muttering an incantation. The spell made his hair lie flat. Then Wes used another spell and Harry could feel his hair start to grow. Once the hair reached his shoulders it stopped growing anymore. The sides hung down over his face, partially blocking some of his eyesight. Harry noticed that the big difference was that his hair was lying flat and was silky smooth now. Wes grabbed a jar off of the counter and unscrewed it. Inside was a styling crème; he got a liberal amount on his hands and rubbed it all throughout Harry's hair. "This will help keep it soft," he explained. When he finished, Harry's hair hung down around his face, the bangs covered his scar. "How does that look?"

Harry glanced in the mirror and smiled. "I like it. Looks good and it hides my scar."

"Thought you would like that," Wes smirked. "Do you want a color?"

"Sure. What would you recommend?"

"Leettttsss' go with blue for now." He waved his wand over Harry's head and tapped his head sharply with his wand. Harry felt a cold trickle on his head just like when being put under a Disillusionment charm. Harry watched in the mirror as a blue coloring started at the center of his head and spidered out around the middle. Most of his hair was left black but was splashed with blue.

"Not bad."

Wes nodded in agreement. "I think that it works on you. We're going to do the piercing next. Did you see anything that you liked?"

Harry nodded quickly. "There was this silver dragon in the case and it had color changing eyes."

Wesley wheeled his chair over to the case and popped it open. After a second of looking he came back to Harry with the earring. "Is this the one? Which ear do you want it in?"

"Left."

Harry felt a small stinging in his left ear lobe and then nothing. "Was that it?"

"Magic's a good thing ain't it?" Wes asked, waving his wand. "Still I've seen men twice your size squirm like wimps. How do you like it?"

Harry glanced in the mirror. The earring was a silver dragon at the end of a short silver chain. The dragon had dark green eyes. "I like it."

"I must say that you do have some good taste mate. The eyes are glowing green right now. That means that you are in company that you can trust. When the eyes turn red that means you are in the presence of an enemy."

"Sort of like a foe glass?" Harry asked.

"Exactly like a foe glass. Now what can we do about tattoos."

Harry smirked up at the large man. "That one is easy."

Wesley spent a good hour or so on Harry's tattoos. The first was a picture of a phoenix on his upper back that was done mostly in red ink. The beak of the phoenix traveled up the nape of his neck and the wings spanned out onto his shoulders. On his right forearm there was writing in Latin that read: In the end there is only darkness. Harry smiled down at the tattoos and ran a hand through his hair. Wesley put the finishing touches on the Latin and nodded n satisfaction. The tattoo artist pushed back a little and admired his work.

"You have some very good taste Harry. What do you think of the whole lot?"

Harry stood up and turned around to get a look at the tattoo on his back. "I love it! How much do I owe?"

After he was finished paying for the services and a few accessories, he bade Wesley a goodbye and headed out of the shop. He brushed a strand of hair out of his eyes and checked his watch. He still had a good ten minutes before he had to go and meet Remus. Harry walked along the street at a leisurely pace. Once again he was generating stares from passersby, but this time it wasn't for the normal reason. Up ahead he could see the sign for Florean Fortesque's Ice Cream shop. Remus was sitting at one of the tables outside. Harry wondered if Remus would recognize him with his new look. Deciding that this might be fun he continued towards his old friend.

"Remus!" He called out.

Remus looked up at Harry and nodded before looking back down at his papers again. After a second Remus' head snapped back up to look at him. The lycan looked shocked at Harry's new appearance. He stood up and looked at Harry.

"Harry?" He gasped in shock. "What did you do?"

"Just gave myself a new look. You don't like it?" Harry moved some of his hair out of the way in order to reveal his earring.

Upon seeing the earring Remus' face split into a wolfish grin. He moved a lock of his hair to the side to reveal a silver ring in his left ear. "I got this when I was about your age. I know what it's like to want to change yourself," he laughed. "You look good cub."

Harry was slightly surprised that Remus has an earring. He never noticed it before. "I'm surprised that you have a piercing. Though you were a Marauder." The two of them smiled at one another. "So where do we go now Remus?"

"Well I'm done for the day," Remus replied. He gathered his papers from the table. "Perhaps we should go back for now. The rest of the Order is probably going spare right now."

* * *

"So, are you sure that you are going to be alright?" Remus asked Harry when they reached his house on Privet Drive. 

"I should be fine," Harry nodded. Even though he said this he didn't quite believe it himself.

Remus placed a hand on Harry's shoulder and smiled sympathetically. "I know that you hate it here. I'm trying to get you moved. And I promise you that I will look into this whole Cedric thing."

"Thank you Remus," Harry said with a smile. "Try and square things away with the order for me. I guess I'll see you when I see you."

"Yes. Try and get some good rest my friend." Remus patted him on the shoulder. "I think Bill is on guard tomorrow. He has something that he wants to give you."

"Right. Thanks for letting me tag along with you today."

"No problem." Remus looked up at the waning daylight and sighed. "You should get inside and I should be on my way. "It's starting to get late."

"Right."

Harry hugged his friend and turned around to walk into the house. While he was walking towards the door he heard the familiar crack of someone disapparating. He decided that it would be best for him to avoid his relatives for now. He made his way to his room and immediately shut the door. Hedwig stared at him from her perch. It was obvious that even she was shocked by the new look. The first thing that he noticed was the beautiful screech owl that he recognized as Percy Weasley's. He walked over to the window and allowed the owl inside. The owl dropped an envelope into Harry's hand and flew over to Hedwig's bowl to get some water.

Harry broke the seal on the envelope and pulled out a thin piece of parchment. Percy's insanely neat handwriting was easily recognizable on the piece of paper.

_Harry Potter_

_Harry, Penelope informed me that you wished to speak to me. I can't imagine as to why. I am very busy doing some important work for the Ministry. I am afraid that I am too busy to meet with you today. How about we meet for lunch on Friday? Say eleven? If you are still interested send back a reply with Hermes. Take care._

_Percy Ignatius Weasley_

Harry smirked at the pompous way in which the letter had been written. What surprised him the most was the way that he had ended the letter. He wrote out a reply and sent Hermes off with the letter. Having nothing else to do for the day he lay down in his bed and closed his eyes.

* * *

The bright rays of the early morning sun drifted across the room and assaulted Harry in his sleep. The young wizard blinked back against the harsh sun. He tried to avoid the light but it wouldn't go away. Instead of going back to sleep he decided to wake up. He reached on his night stand and picked up his glasses. Harry slipped on the new pair of glasses that he had bought only yesterday. They were thin framed, silver lensed, square glasses. They looked much better than his old glasses. He had gone to a muggle optometrist to get them and also picked up some contact lenses while he was there. Harry leaned over and checked his watch. It was only 8 o'clock Friday morning. 

Harry groaned and pulled himself out of bed. The last two days had passed by quickly and today was the day that he was supposed to meet Percy for lunch in Diagon Alley. He dropped down to the ground and started his morning workout ritual. Ever since he got back from school he worked out for an hour. Today he was just going to work out for a half an hour. He started out with some push-ups, sit-ups, and ended with some crunches. When he was done he grabbed his wand and a change of clothes. He ran to the bathroom in hopes of avoiding his relatives. They had started to ask questions about his new look and the new pair of glasses. In other words they wanted know where he got the money to pay for it all. Not to mention Aunt Petunia would complain about his hair every time she saw him. Not that he really minded that part though.

When he was done taking his shower he used his wand to fix his hair. He used the spells Wesley taught him to make it lie flat and changed the blue color to purple. He had been doing this the last couple of days and he still hadn't received a letter from the ministry. They must have been in some serious trouble if they weren't going to come after him for using underage magic. Once he was satisfied with his look he walked back out of the bathroom. He was dressed in a pair of baggy faded jeans that used to belong to Dudley and an old t-shirt. Harry slipped on his sneakers and started to walk down the stairs. He wouldn't have to worry about dealing with his family now. He had heard them all leave while he was staking his shower. He left his jacket hanging on the coat rack because it was already rather warm outside. Just as he stepped out of the door he heard someone call out to him.

"Oi Harry!"

Harry turned his head to the side and smiled. A tall thin man was standing against the side of the house. He was dressed in a long black cloak that fell down to his shins. He had long flaming red hair that was pulled back into a ponytail. Bright eyes seemed to stare directly into Harry's soul. His face was covered in a light criss-crossing of scars but he was still handsome. In his left ear was a piercing that appeared to be a tooth of some kind. The young man walked toward Harry with a slightly appraising look.

"Very nice Harry," said the man. "Lupin told me about the new look but I didn't believe him. Looks good on you though."

"Thanks Bill. Good to see you mate." Harry shook hands with the eldest Weasley child. "I thought that you were supposed to be on guard Wednesday."

"I switched shifts with Kingsley," Bill explained. "There was a situation at Gringotts."

"I see. So how is Fleur?"

"Actually that's what I wanted to talk to you about." Bill reached into his cloak and pulled out an envelope. "It's an invitation to the wedding. Fleur and I would really appreciate it if you could come."

"Bill, I would love to come. I wouldn't miss it."

"Great. Now if I could ask you to do me one small favor?" He reached into his cloak and produced a second envelope. "I know that you are meeting with Percy today. I was wondering if you could give this to him for me."

Harry accepted the envelope with a curious look. "I-I don't have a problem with it. But how did you know that I was meeting with Percy?"

"The Order has been reading any letters that might come to you for security purposes."

"Yeah that's why," Harry muttered angrily.

"What?"

"Nothing. Listen Bill I really want to get going so I can do some things before I met your brother."

"As far as I'm concerned, I never saw you," Bill said with a smile.

Harry smiled back at him. A second later he disappeared with crack; leaving behind an astonished Bill Weasley. When Harry reappeared he found himself inside of Diagon Alley instead of at the entrance. This time he imagined one of the designated apparition points. Harry fixed his hair so that it covered his scar and then went on his way. Just like yesterday the shopping center was rather crowded. Out of all the stores he could go to his destination was Madame Malkins. He wanted to pick up some new clothes since he now had full access to his money. It only took him a few minutes to reach the shop even though the alley was crowded. It was much easier when no one stopped to talk to you. As soon as Harry walked into the store he was greeted by a young woman.

"Hello sir! How may I help you?" The young brunette greeted energetically.

Harry smiled at the girl and shook his head. "No thank you," he answered politely. "I just want to take a look around."

"Okay. Call me if you need any assistance."

Harry nodded to her and started to walk around the store. Madame Malkins had everything from wizard robes to clothes that could be considered muggle in style. Harry remembered one problem that he had with clothes. He had no style. After looking at clothes for about ten minutes, things were starting to look hopeless. Just as he was about to give up he caught a glance of a young girl out of the corner of his eye. She was about a head shorter than him with dark hair. She was dressed in a pair of blue jeans and that was all that he could see of the uniform. She was busy trying on plain black robes. Harry was able to recognize her as Parvati Patil, a fellow Gryffindor student at Hogwarts.

Harry walked up to her and tapped her on the shoulder. "Parvati?"

The young Indian girl turned around with a smile on her face. When she saw Harry she almost choked in shock. "H-Harry?" She asked in astonishment. "I-Is that you?"

Harry nodded. He doubted that he would ever get tired of people's reactions to his new look. "Yep it's me."

"You changed your hair! And your glasses!"

"Yeah," Harry scratched the back of his head bashfully, "what do you think?"

Parvati blushed. She suddenly found her feet very interesting. "You look nice," she said quietly.

Harry's cheeks also flushed alight pink. "So…what are you doing here?"

"Shopping for school robes." She said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"School robes?"

"Yeah? What didn't you hear?" She asked. When she saw the look on her face it was very obvious that he hadn't heard the news. "Hogwarts is reopening this year. It's all over the Prophet. Professor McGonagall refuses to shut down the school." Harry sucked all of this news in with a surprised look on his face. "Isn't that why you are here?"

Harry was too shocked to respond to her at first. After Dumbledore had died he expected the school to be closed down. "N-not exactly," he replied. He didn't want to tell Parvati that he was thinking of not coming back to school. "I actually just came here to get some regular clothes. But I don't hank that I-"

"Have the sense?" Parvati guessed.

Harry nodded. "Exactly."

Parvati giggled and shook her head. "Boys! I could help you if you want!" She looked at his skeptical look and smiled. "Don't worry Harry. I know what guys look good in. Trust me."

It wasn't that Harry doubted her fashion sense. He just knew from personal experience that shopping with a girl could be worse than the Cruciatus curse. "I just wouldn't want to waste any of you time."

"No bother. I don't have to meet Padma for another couple of hours anyway."

Harry sighed and relented. "Sure. Why not?"

**2 Hours Later**

Harry stared at the wall of the dressing room like a zombie. He had tried on several outfits and this was just the latest. This outfit consisted of a pair of light blue jeans that Parvati had picked out because they were a little tight. A tight black t-shirt that he wore under a black leather jacket. In place of his usual beaten sneakers he was now wearing a pair of dragon skin boots. Parvati had also picked out several other outfits. Including some black pants, a couple pairs of leather pants and few more pairs of jeans. As tops she had picked out t-shirts, both black and white. She also picked out a leather vest, some silk shirts, and even a new set of dress robes. Harry was glad that she was enjoying herself because he was about to drop dead. That or put her in a full body bind curse and run like hell.

"Come on out Harry! I want to see!" Parvati called from outside of the dressing room.

Harry groaned and opened the dressing room door. "Are we done yet?" He whined.

Parvati smiled and shook her head. "That wasn't so bad was it?"

"I can't see out of my left eye."

"Stop being such a wimp."

"Why didn you look at anything for you?"

"I looked at that sweater."

Harry scoffed. "You looked at one sweater and said that it was too expensive."

"And it was too expensive! Now why don't you take the bags to the counter? I have to visit the little girl's room."

Harry nodded. He was thankful that the shopping spree was finally coming to an end. He grabbed the bags and carried them over to the counter. "Your friend sure likes to shop." It was the same girl that greeted him when he came in.

Harry rolled his eyes. "No kidding. So how much do I owe?" While the young lady tallied up the bill Harry walked over to a shelf and picked up a dark blue sweater. He walked back to the counter and placed the sweater in front of the woman. "I would also like to purchase this."

"That?" She asked. "Are you sure? It's rather expensive. And it's agirls sweater."

"I know. Can you put it in this bag for me?"

Harry just finished paying when Parvati came to the front. "Have you paid already?"

"Yeah," Harry answered. His eyes traveled down to his watch and he blanched back. It was five past eleven already. "Excuse me Parvati, I have to go and meet someone!" He said in a rush. "You alright on your own?"

"I'll be fine. I have to go and meet Padma now, anyways.

"Right. I hate to run but I'm already late. See you later." He called, running out of the door.

* * *

Percy stared down at the papers on the table in front of him. He had arrived a few minutes before eleven and it was now almost fifteen past. Harry was nowhere in sight Pecry was wondering if he was even going to show at all. He peered over his horn rimmed glasses at the documents he had been working on. At least he was able to get some work done while he waited for Harry. When he checked his watch again he saw that harry was almost a half an hour late. 

"Sir, here are the drinks that you ordered." A waitress placed a couple of cups on the table and smiled brightly at him. "Would you like to order now?"

Percy shook his head. "No thanks. I want to wait for a couple more minutes."

Just as the waitress walked away Percy heard his name being clled out. "Percy!"

Percy looked up from the papers he was going over and blinked. It took him a minute of looking at the strange figure to see who it was. The young man reminded him of a shorter version of Bill with different hair. When he got a little closer Percy was able to recognize him as Harry.

Percy stood up and offered his hand to Harry. "Harry was beginning to think that you wouldn't show up."

Harry dropped the bags of clothes and shook the proffered hand. "Sorry about that. Ran into a crazy shopper."

"So I seeTake a seat. I took the liberty of ordering us a couple of ales."

Harry smiled and took a seat across from Percy. He wasn't going to bother explaining that he wasn't at the legal drinking age yet. He lifted the glass to his leps and took a sip of the brew. Harry smiled; he rather liked the taste of the ale. He looked up from his drink and saw Percy staring back at him.

"Something wrong?"

Percy shook his head. "Nothing. Just I was wondering about the new look. It suits you."

"Really?"

A pregnant silence followed that both wizards were reluctant to brake. "Harry things…things have gone out of control in our world. The Ministry is losing its control." Percy took a sip of his ale and sighed. "This is hard for me. I gave up a lot for them. I even betrayed my family and you. Harry you were like a brother to me. I'm sorry for everything I've done and said. Please forgive me."

Harry shook his head. "I'm not the one that you need to apologize to."

There was another long silence until Harry decided to break it. "Penelope told me that you guys are getting married. Congratulations."

"…Thank you."

"So when is the big day?"

"Well it was supposed to be in a month or so. But since Bill's wedding is coming up we decided to postpone." Percy toook another sip of his drink.

"Actually Percy, that's the reason that I wanted to see you."

"About Bill's wedding?"

"Yeah. I was-"

"Hey guys are you ready to order yet?"

Percy looked up at the waitress. "Just the special for me."

"Same here" Harry replied. The waitress nodded and bounced away to get their orders. "Percy, do you want to make up with your family?"

Percy leaned back in his seat. He took off his glasses and cleaned them with his shirt. Harry was glad that he took off his jacket; it was starting to get hot. Percy put his glasses on and stared back at Harry.

Harry leaned forward in his chair and glared at Percy. "Percy, your family cares about you."

"And I care about them!" Percy hissed. "But how can I even begin to apologize for what I've done! Besides, I'm not the only one that needs to apologize."

"You want to know how you can start? Go to Bill's wedding," Harry said softly.

"Pfft! Bill doesn't want me at his wedding."

"Really? Then why did he give me this?" Harry reached in his pants pocket and pulled out this invitation to Bill's wedding.

"Is that an invitation?"

"To Bill and Fleur's wedding. And it's adressed to you."

Percy accepted the letter from Harry with a slightly shaking hand. "I-I don't know about this."

"I'm not saying accept right away. The best that we can do is think about it."

The rest of lunch was spent in friendly conversation. Harry had never known that Percy could be so easy going. Maybe it was the letter that had Percy in such high spirits. Or maybe he had lightened up since last year. Who knew? Who cared? Harry was actually having a decent and fun conversation. The both shared stories from Harry's days in school and Percy's life with the twins. Harry was able to learn about the state of the ministry and the wizarding world in general. When lunch was over the two of them sat around in silence. Percy checked his watch and sighed.

"I have to get going Harry." Percy gathered his files and stood up.

Harry nodded. "I should probably be going to. How much do I owe you for lunch?"

"Don't worry about the bill. The ministry is picking up the tab. I'm using this as a business expenxe."

"Lunch with me is a business expense?" Harry asked incredulously.

Percy stroked his chin thoughtfully. "What do you think about the Ministry of Magic?"

"Sucks."

"There. We just talked business."

Harry was shocked that Percy didn't react to his insult on the ministry. Perhaps they really were losing their hold on the world. "I'm surprised Percy."

"Even I have my moments apparently," Percy said proudly.

Harry smiled and shook hands with Percy again. "Percy, think about what I said?"

Percy gave Harry a reluctant nod. "I will. Goodbye Harry."

"Bye Percy."

Harry watched Percy gather his things and leave the table. When he was gone Harry quickly disapparated. He found himself back in front of Privet Drive. Sighing, he hefted his bags of clothes up and walked into the house. It was a mistake. As soon as he was inside he was immediatley assualted by his relatives.

"Alright boy what is in those bags?!"

"What business is it of yours?!" Harry snapped, forgetting patience.

"See daddy I told you that he was knicking things," Dudley said triumphantly. "How else could he get new glasses?"

Harry rolled his eyes at Dudley's assumption. "I bought them you prat."

"And just where did you get the money?" Vernon snarled.

"I have money."

"If you have money then how come you arent paying any rent?!"

"You haven't wanted me here since the day you found me on the doorstep." Harry's hands tightened into fists. "If you don't want me here then maybe I should leave." Harry leaned up so that he was in Vernon's face. "Because I won't give you shit."

Harry smirked at the outraged look on Vernon's face. He grabbed his bags again and turned around to walk out of the door. "I'm coming back for my stuff."

Harry turned around and threw open the door. He was just about to step outside but there was someone blocking his way. Standing on the front step was a young girl with her hand poised to knock. She was about a head shorter than Harry. She had straggly waist length, dirty blond hair. Her eyes were silver in color and protuberant; giving her a pemanently surprised look. She was dressed in dirty, beaten wizard robes that were torn in some places. Her face was dirty and covered in small cuts and what appeared to be trails left by tears. Harry also noticed that the girl had a trunk at her side. Harry ignored the disdainful stares that the Dursley's were giving them.

Harry stared at the girl in pure surprise. What scared him the most was the look on her face. She didn't have her usual spaced out look. She seemed frightened. "Luna?" He asked unsurely.

The girl wiped her face. "H-Harry Potter," she greeted in a raspy voice.

The young blond slumped forward and Harry had to drop his bags to catch her. Harry eased them down to the ground where he stared down at he half lidded eyes. She was okay, just exhausted. Harry looked down at her with a mixture of surprise and concern. This could be a problem. It would definitley be the biggest change in his life.

* * *

**For those that are actually reading this I'm sorry for the wait. My computer has been screwing up. The only reason I was able to complete this was because I got a new laptop. Anyways, do me a favor and review for me. Till next chapter.**


	3. Chapter 3:The New House Guest

**Now we're beginning to get somewhere. I hope you enjoyed the last chapter just as I hope that you enjoy this one. **

**Disclaimer: My lawers have advised me that I will be hit by the Cruciatus Curse if I do not attest to this fact. I don't own Harry Potter.**

* * *

**Chapter 3: The New House Guest**

Harry stared at the young girl that was lying in his bed. He was sitting in the chair at his desk and Luna was sleeping in his bed. The young man still couldn't believe what had happened earlier that day. Since Luna's arrival all he had done was stay in his room with her. It was now dark outside and the room was even darker than the night. The only source of light that he had in the room was the moon shining through the window. The light was just enough that her pale blond hair was shining in the moonlight and her slight form was just visible. Harry quietly leaned over and opened up the window. He took out a lighter and his pack of cigarettes. Harry slipped a cigarette into his mouth and lit it up. Harry took a deep drag, letting the smoke try and clear his mind. His thoughts were jumbled over everything that had happened and everything that he had learned about the state of his world. What happened earlier just made things a little more complicated.

**Flashback**

_Harry caught Luna just before she could hit the ground. He eased her down to the ground gazing at her face in concern. Her eyes were half closed and she looked like she was about to ready to pass out. What had happened to her? Why was she even here in the first place?_

_"Luna?" He asked worriedly. "Luna what happened? Are you okay?"_

_Vernon bellowed._

_Harry looked up at Vernon blankly. "I-I have no clue."_

_"She's strange looking," Dudley commented._

_"She said your name," Petunia said suspiciously. She gave Harry a questioning stare. "Who is she?"_

_Harry gently patted her face to try and wake her up. "__Her name is Luna Lovegood. She's a girl from my school."_

_"Well she's not staying here!" Vernon said quickly._

_"Can't you see that she's hurt?"_

_"…Harry Potter?" Asked a slightly blank voice._

_Harry looked down and saw that Luna's eyes were now wide open. Luna stared up at him with an ethereal look in her eyes. "Luna?" Harry sighed in relief. "Luna, can you tell me what happened?" He asked gently._

_Instead of s__aying something she __turned her head and buried her face into his chest. Harry didn't know how to react and judging by the looks on their faces neither did the Dursleys. Harry just helped her to her feet and made sure that she could stand. By the time she was back on her feet Vernon had regained his wits. His face burned bright red with __his anger but Harry paid him no__ mind. Harry only looked at his uncle when the man started to get close to him and Luna._

_"You, you," Vernon spluttered pointing at Luna. "I demand that you leave my house at once!"_

_Luna hung her head. She wanted to say something but the words were stuck in her throat. Harry __glared__ at Vernon__ and put himself in between Vernon and Luna. "Luna, my room is upstairs and to the left. Go and wait for me."_

_The blond Ravenclaw nodded sullenly at him. She grabbed her trunk, which she seemed to have no problem lifting, and walked up the stairs. As soon as she was out of earshot Harry turned to face Vernon. This time he would not allow Vernon to push him around like this._

_"I will not turn her away!" Harry said firmly._

_"What did you say to me?!" Vernon growled, advancing on him._

_Harry quickly drew his wand and pointed it at Vernon's face. "Stay away from me," Harry said in a deadly voice._

_Vernon backed away, his moustache quivering. "You wouldn't dare. You would be expelled!"_

_Harry smirked at the larger man. "That's what you think. They have much more important problems to worry about than me using underage magic.__ Besides, I don't care anymore," he said nonchalantly._

_"I-I won't __have__ her staying here." Vernon was losing control of the situation and he knew it._

_"She will stay," Harry replied. "Something happened to her and we aren't going anywhere until I know what happened to her."_

_Vernon was about to say something but Aunt Petunia interrupted him. "Let the girl stay Vernon," she said meekly._

_Vernon rounded on her and Harry regarded her with a confused expression. Neither of them understood what they just heard. Dudley stood behind his mother, cowering in fear. After what seemed __like__ an eternity Vernon asked, "B-but Petunia dear…"_

_"The girl has come a long way Vernon. She is obviously in some kind of distress."_

_Vernon knew that he would lose out to his wife and turned to face Harry. He tried to go up the stairs and __Harry jumped in his way again. He raised his wand again and stood his ground. "If you get anywhere near Luna, I will hex you into oblivion," Harry growled. "Try me."_

_Harry walked over to his bags and picked them up. "That goes for any of you."_

_Harry walked up the stairs, glaring at all of them. He gave his aunt one last look before disappearing at the top of the stairs. He walked along the hall quickly and into his room. Luna was standing in the middle of the room staring down at the ground. Something was obviously wrong with the girl because she had lost her dreamy quality. Harry dropped his bags on the floor and closed his door behind him__. Now Harry was bad enough when it came to crying girls; he was even worse when it came to girls that wouldn't talk at all. He walked closer to Luna and hesitated when he was just a few inches away __from__ her._

_"Luna? Tell me what happened."_

_Luna finally stopped twiddling her thumbs and looked up at Harry. She had started to cry again. Harry stared at her for her a minute as if crying was a completely foreign idea to him. __After__ realizing what was goin__g on he hesitantly wrapped his arms around her small frame._

**End ****Flashback**

That was how Harry found himself watching the young woman sleep in his bed. Harry snuffed the cigarette out on the window sill. What had happened to Luna that made her upset enough to cry? Considering all the torture she received at school it must have been something big. Perhaps something involving her home or her father. And why had Aunt Petunia acted the way she did earlier? She acted like she was almost concerned about Luna. Well he wasn't going to get anything done by sitting here tonight. He quietly pushed back his chair and carefully laid himself out on the floor. Now that Luna was finally asleep he didn't want to do anything that may wake her. Harry closed his eyes his eyes and allowed himself to drift off.

After about an hour or so of sleep he shot straight up. He was breathing hard and his body was covered in sweat. Harry groaned tiredly and saw that his LCD read 1:13 A.M. He shook his head and aid back down on the floor. What happened next wasn't completely unexpected. It started out a twinge then grew into a burning intense pain. Harry clamped his hand over his scar and gritted his teeth against the pain. There was a flash of what could have been a memory, a scream, and then blankness. It took Harry all he had not to scream out in pain. His eyes shot over to the bed where Luna was sleeping. Seeing that she was still lying in the bed, a wave of relief washed over him. He lay back on the floor again and closed his eyes. He knew that it would be useless but it was worth a try.

The next time that Harry awoke was in the early morning. He was surprised that he was able to get any sleep at all after his scar starting acting up. The entire world around Harry was a big blur, meaning that he didn't have his glasses on. He tried to get up and retrieve his glasses from the desk chair but something was holding him down. Harry reached up and felt around the chair. His fingertips touched the glasses and he took them off of the chair. He slipped the glasses on and looked at what was holding him down. Luna was lying on the ground next to him with her arms around his waist. She nuzzled her cheek against him making him blush slightly. Last night when she had gone to sleep he had cleaned her face off. Harry didn't want to wake her so he decided to lie back down. He couldn't help but notice how peaceful and pretty Luna was when she was sleeping. In fact he would almost go as far as to say that she looked-

Harry smacked himself before he could finish that thought. _'What am I say here?'__ He __thought. '__This __was __Luna Lovegood__ after all. How did she get here on the floor anyways?__'_

Harry couldn't help but wonder what had brought Luna here but he didn't want to pressure her into answering him. He stared at the ceiling until he heard a light taping sound at his window. Thinking that it was nothing he ignored the sound. A second later and the same tapping sound occurred, this time twice in a row. There had to be something or someone that was trying to gain his attention. Carefully so as not to wake Luna, he slid from her grasp. He placed his arms under her legs and behind her neck and lifted her into the air. Harry was pleasantly surprised at how light she was. He set her down gently in his bed and as she curled up onto her side. Harry ignored the sudden urge to sit with her and walked over to the window. Standing outside in the yard was Remus pacing nervously. What could he want now?

Harry sat down in his desk chair and slipped on his sneakers. He quietly opened the door and slipped out of the room. After making sure that the door was firmly closed he hurried down the stairs and out of the front door. The first thing that he noticed was Remus pacing the lawn nervously. Harry walked up to him and held out his arms.

"Is there a reason why you're throwing rocks at my window?"

Remus spun around and grabbed Harry by the shoulders. "Harry something terrible has happened!" Remus rushed out.

Harry raised his hands in a calming manner. "Remus calm down. What happened?" Harry's heart was racing a mile a minute. Maybe something happened to Ron, Hermione or Ginny.

Remus took a deep breath and nodded. "We have a serious problem. Tristan Lovegood has been murdered."

Harry's head snapped over to look at Remus. "What?!"

"The Dark Mark was seen over his house about two days ago. Kingsley, Tonks, and Mundungus checked the house. They found Tristan's body lying on the floor but we couldn't find Luna anywhere. Harry, we have no idea where she is!"

"Calm down Remus!" Harry said patting his shoulder. "L-Luna is safe."

"How can you be so sure?" Remus asked, taking a deep breath.

"She's up in my room sleeping." Remus gazed questioningly at Harry. "She showed up yesterday on my front step. She looked really upset, so I decided to let her stay. She wouldn't tell me why she was so upset though." Harry looked down at the ground and shook his head.

Remus sensed what this was about and smiled sympathetically at Harry. "Harry this was not your fault. Understand. This had nothing to do with you."

Harry shook his head. It did have something to do with him. But he didn't want to put his problems out there. He had to push them to the side in order to take care of Luna.

"Harry, how is she?"

Harry looked at Remus and sniffed. "She just lost her father. How do you think that she feels?"

"Whoa, calm down Harry. I didn't mean anything by it!"

Harry felt his anger swelling up and he took a step back. "I-I know. Sorry Remus, it's just kind of a touchy subject."

Remus nodded in understanding. "I know cub." There was an awkward silence until Remus shook his head. "What about you? Has your scar been acting up?"

"…No." Remus glared at Harry with a disbelieving look. "Okay. Promise not to go mental though. Last night I woke up and my scar started hurting. Voldemort was torturing Draco Malfoy. Lucius, he was just watching. I thought that he was still locked up."

"Since you don't read the paper anymore, you probably don't know. There was a breakout in Azkaban on Tuesday. Lucius Malfoy, Antonin Dolohov, and Rodolphus Lestrange were able to escape with some help from the inside."

"This is just great," Harry growled. "Sorry, I can't tell you more."

"No." Remus shook his head. "This is good. We know that he's not happy. Things aren't going his way."

"I guess."

Remus smiled at the sulking teen. "Hogwarts is reopening this year. Are your plans still the same?"

"I don't know," Harry answered sullenly. "They were the same yesterday. But now I'm not so sure." He glanced back at the house apprehensively.

"You mean because of Luna?" Remus asked knowingly. Harry nodded sheepishly in response. "Why not take her with you? You trust her don't you?"

"Trust has nothing to do with it!" Harry replied quickly. He didn't want to have to put someone else that he considered a friend in danger. "I guess that I can think about it. Look I had better get back in there. She shouldn't be alone right now."

Remus nodded. "I need to report back to the Order. And I still need to do some more research on your Cedric thing. I'll try my best to keep you informed."

"Yeah."

"Take care of yourself Harry. And Luna to." Remus turned around and looked over his shoulder. "Harry, sometimes the strongest need the weakest in order to survive."

Harry sighed and ran a hand through his hair. He shouldn't have been short with Remus, but he just couldn't help it. He walked back into the house and immediately proceeded to his room. When he opened the door Luna was sitting on his bed. The bed had been made and the sheets looked smoother than ever. Harry stood in the door and watched the younger girl. She hadn't seemed to notice him yet. That was fine with Harry; he didn't know quite what to say. Especially now that he knew the truth. Luna's father was the most important person in her life and now he was gone. There was nothing that Harry could say that could make her feel any better. Judging from yesterday; she wouldn't say much to him.

"Good morning."

Luna had spoken so suddenly that it caught him off guard. "Um, good morning." Harry scratched the back of his head. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm well. How about you?"

"Ugh, I'm fine. Luna," Harry wanted to ask her what happened, "do you want to get something to eat?"

Luna shook her head so that her blond hair was flailing wildly. "No. I don't think I want to."

Harry chuckled. "Yeah, I wouldn't want to eat near my relatives either. Why don't you go and get changed, then we can go out for breakfast. Bathroom is down the hall and on your left."

"Are you sure it's alright?"

Harry nodded. "Looks like you might be staying here for awhile anyway."

Luna looked like she wanted to argue with him but she relented. She grabbed some clothes from her trunk and walked out of the room. Harry leaned back against the wall and ran his hands over his face. What was going on around this place? First he was seeing dead people and now Luna was in his house. How could things get any worse?

"So you're one of Potter's freak friends huh?"

Harry's eyes snapped open and he jumped away from the wall. He forgot about Dudley. When he walked out into the hall Dudley was standing in Luna's way. With his cousin's immense size there was no way that Luna could get passed him. Harry was about to interfere when Luna spoke up.

"Excuse me but you are standing in my way," Luna said in a dreamy tone of voice. It wasn't meant as a threat but merely a statement.

Dudley looked back at Luna with a look of complete vapidity. As usual when he couldn't think of anything he resorted to insults. "God! Why are all of you people such freaks?!"

"Why are witches and wizards freaks?" Luna asked perplexedly. She cocked her head to the side in a confused sort of manner. "Jealousy is the price that mediocrity pays to genius" she said in a sing song voice

Luna managed to slip passed Dudley, leaving him in the hallway confused. Harry watched Luna disappear into the bathroom and started to laugh. Dudley rounded on Harry with a confused look on his face. He pointed to where Luna had disappeared into the bathroom and started to stutter.

"What was that?!" He finally shouted.

"That was Luna," Harry said with a laugh. It was fun to watch the girl work, especially on people that didn't know her. "That's the way she is."

"Keep her away from me Potter. If I even see her again I'll-"

Harry's protective instincts kicked in in a flash. He grabbed Dudley by the collar and pressed his wand into Dudley's neck. The bully cowered at the sight of the wand and tried to press himself against the wall. "If I ever see you go anywhere near Luna…I'll give more tan just a tail. Understand?"

"Um?" Harry and Dudley turned to look at Luna. She was standing in the hall staring back at them with her usual dreamy expression. "Towel?" She asked.

Harry glared at Dudley and let him go. He walked over to the linen closet and took out a dark blue towel. "Here you go." Harry handed the blond a towel and gave her a smile.

Luna gave him a small but grateful smile. She turned back around and disappeared into the bathroom. Harry turned back around and glared at Dudley again. As he walked by, he gave Dudley one last warning glare. He shut the door behind him and laid down on the bed.

* * *

Luna stepped into the piping hot water of the shower. The steaming hot water of the shower soothed her aching muscles and calmed her racing mind. After everything that happened the past couple of days she deserved a break. After the Death Eaters had attacked her home and murdered her father she had decided to leave. She needed to get somewhere where she would be safe and among friends. Sure the Weasleys lived much closer to her than Harry, but the thought of going there hadn't even crossed her mind. The first person she thought of once she left her house was Harry. Why? She had no idea. Was it because she knew that Harry wouldn't turn her away? That couldn't be it because the Weasleys wouldn't turn her away either. She grabbed the body wash and made a thick lather with her hands. 

Luna scrubbed the flower scented body wash all over her body. She relished the feel of getting clean; it had been about two days since she had last taken a shower. She watched the grime wash down the drain and grimaced. One thing that she couldn't stand was being dirty. She picked up the shampoo and her mind flashed back to the question at hand. Sure she knew that Harry wouldn't turn her away. Luna also knew that wasn't the only reason that she had chosen to come here. After meeting Harry in her fourth year she had been thinking about him a lot. Even more since they attended Slughorn's party together. At that time she could tell that something was wrong with the world's savior. She wanted to ask Harry about what was bothering him since last year. He was so stand offish last year that she didn't want to approach him with it. He seemed especially distant after Dumbledore's funeral. At the time she had been worried about adding even more problems onto his plate. Now Luna just wanted to know what it was that was bothering him.

The young witch rinsed the shampoo from her hair and turned off the shower. She stood in the tub until she started to feel a chill sweep over her body. Luna grabbed the towel from the sink and dried her hair then body. She stepped out of the tub and started to slowly get dressed. Her outfit consisted of a dark skirt that fell down to her knees and an orange blouse. She put on the butterbeer cap necklace that her mother made for her all of those years ago. Next she slipped on some knee high socks. The sock on the right foot was black and white striped and had been drawn all the way up to her knee. The other sock was pink and pulled down around her ankle. Luna looked into the mirror and shook her head to get the straggly look back into it.

The blond shook her head and walked out of the bathroom. She walked down the hall and opened Harry's door. Harry was running a finger over the scar that he had received from Wormtail in his fourth year. Out the corner of his eye Harry noticed Luna and hid his arm behind his back. He grabbed a change of clothes from the bags and gave her a smile as he walked by.

"Luna, don't talk to my relatives," he warned. "In case you haven't noticed, they don't exactly like our kind."

"Those that are misinformed cannot be truly blamed," Luna said. It sounded like she was reading a quote from a book.

"Yeah that's why," Harry scoffed. "Make yourself at home. When I get out of the shower we can go to breakfast."

Luna nodded and watched him leave the room. She sat on the bed and waited for Harry to come back. A rustling in the corner caught her attention. Hedwig had awakened and was staring at Luna as though she were an intruder. Luna walked over to Hedwig and stared up at her. For a brief second wide amber eyes stared into wide silver eyes.

"Hello. My name is Luna. What is yours?" Hedwig stared at Luna curiously and cocked her head in confusion. Luna mimicked the action. "Are you not feeling well?"

Harry stepped out of the shower and began to change. He slipped on a pair of dark blue jeans and a light long sleeved black tee. Harry used his wand to fix his hair the way he wanted it. After he was done he left the bathroom for his room. He opened the door and threw his clothes in a basket that he kept near his door.

"Luna I thought that we could…what are you doing?"

Hedwig had her head turned ¾ of the way so that it appeared to be upside down. Luna was standing on her head and staring back at Hedwig. Harry looked at each of them in turn and shook his head. The Ravenclaw's weird behavior shouldn't have surprised him, but it did.

"Anyways," he said shaking his head," I thought that maybe we would go to this café near here."

"That would be acceptable."

Harry nodded as he put on his boots and started to zip them up. "Okay! What are you doing?"

"Talking with your owl." She answered as if it was so very obvious.

"…Yeah. Luna this is Hedwig." Harry said introducing them.

"Hello Hedwig."

Harry thought that Luna was wasting her time until Hedwig actually hooted back. Harry blinked in surprise at Hedwig's response. As usual he thought that Luna was just living up to the nickname of Loony. Maybe there was more to her than he thought. Harry walked over to Luna and helped the girl out of the handstand so that she wouldn't hurt herself. He helped her stand and was surprised that she didn't lose her balance.

"Come on. I'm starving,

Luna nodded. She sat down on the bed and started tying her shoes. When she was done she walked over to her trunk and dug around until she found her wand. She stood up straight and tucked her wand behind her ear like it was the most normal thing in the world. Harry walked up to her and took the wand out from behind her ear. Luna cocked her head curiously and Harry handed her wand back to her. He motioned to the wand that he kept in his pocket and she nodded. She slipped the wand into her pocket and followed him out of the door. As they were walking down the stairs Harry caught sight of his aunt. She was dusting one of the small tables in the hall. Harry reached the bottom of the stairs and ushered Luna out of the door first. It seemed like Petunia was paying the two of them no attention at all.

Harry stopped at the door, remembering the way that his aunt stuck up for him and Luna yesterday. "Aunt Petunia." Petunia stiffened when she heard Harry call her name. "Thank you."

Petunia glanced back over her shoulder and nodded. Harry nodded back and followed Luna out of the door. The two of them walked side by side down the street in a comfortable silence. Harry took the moment of silence to give Luna a once over. The thing that caught his attention the most were the mismatched socks and the colors that didn't quite match up. The entire uniform along with the wide eyes and hair was classic Luna. There was something about Luna that Harry couldn't quite understand. When Sirius died she was the only person that he was able to talk to without losing his temper. Yet now he could barely talk to her at all. Why was that?

Luna looked around at her surroundings. She had been too out of it yesterday to notice anything. Her eyes traveled from the neatly trimmed lawns of the houses up to Harry's face. Instead of seeing Harry as she normally saw him, she now saw him as someone else. Why did he feel the need to change in his looks? It wasn't that she didn't like the way that he looked now. She just thought that he looked fine the way he was before. There was another thing that was bothering the young witch. Something was happening with Harry that was causing him to become stressed out. He tried his best to hide it but she could see all of the signs. Luna was much more observant than anyone gave her credit before.

"Your hair is different," she stated casually. Harry stared at her in confusion. "You also have new glasses and tattoos. Why would someone change themselves in such a way?"

"Heh. I didn't want anyone to recognize me. Not even myself. When I look in the mirror now I see someone else."

"And that is a good thing?"

"Are you telling me that you never thought of changing yourself?"

Luna didn't say anything to him; instead she just looked down at her feet. The rest of the walk to the café was spent in silence. The café was right near the park where Harry had talked with Cedric's spirit. The café was a small place with tables inside and outside of the shop. Harry led Luna over to one of the small circular tables outside. The morning was warm but not too hot; it would have been stupid to sit inside on a day this nice. The two of them sat across from one another and focused their attention on anything else but each other. Well Harry focused and Luna just allowed her mind to wander. When the waiter came Harry ordered a cup of coffee and a bacon sandwich. Luna ordered the same sans the coffee. She wanted tea instead. After a long period of silence their drinks and then their food came. Harry started eating right away but Luna just stared down at her sandwich

Harry swallowed the mouth full of sandwich and stared at Luna with concern. "You should eat."

Luna just shook her head. "I don't feel very hungry." The truth was that she was starving. After everything that happened the last couple of days she just didn't feel up to eating.

Harry shook his head. "Luna what happened? You have to tell me."

"Have you been reading the Quibbler? There's a terrific article on the-"

"Luna," Harry said in a stern voice. He cut her off in mid sentence making her feel a little disheartened. "Please tell me what happened." He said in a more gentle voice.

Again Luna didn't say anything or even look at him. Harry could feel his anger trying to get the better of him. He set his sandwich down and reached into his pocket to pull out his cigarettes. He took one from the pack with his lips and pulled out his lighter. Luna watched him light his cigarette with a curious stare. He inhaled deeply and the relaxation returned to his face. Harry watched Luna and Luna watched him in return. At this point Harry didn't really care about getting Luna to tell him what happened. He found himself worrying more about her than the events that led up to them sitting at this table together. If only he could get her to eat something.

_'You trust her don't you?'_

Harry pondered Remus' words and removed the cigarette from his mouth. He exhaled and leaned back in his chair. He trusted Luna enough to talk to her about Sirius. Maybe he could trust her enough to talk to her about the Horcruxes. He didn't want her getting involved in something that could be so dangerous. However, if he wanted her to trust him then he needed her to trust him as well.

"Luna there's something that I need to tell you," he said suddenly. Luna's attention focused on him while she sipped at her tea. "I need you to listen very carefully."

Harry recounted the entire story for the girl. He told her about the prophecy that he had learned of after they fought together in the Ministry of Magic. Harry told her what he learned in his sixth year about Voldemort. He told Luna about the quest for the horcruxes and that he didn't plan on going back to school. When he was done with his story neither of them said anything. Harry finished smoking his cigarette and then snuffed it out in the ashtray. He half expected Luna to look at him like he was crazy and walks away from him. Instead she just watched him take a sip of his coffee. There was a look of wonderment on her face after the things that she had been told. There was only one question that was running through her mind at the time.

"Why?" She asked.

"Why what?"

"Why did you tell me something like this? No one told you to."

Harry smiled back at her. "No. No one told me to tell you. But I wanted to. I wanted to tell you because I trust you. Because you helped me." There was a break in the conversation when Harry looked into her eyes. "Now I need you to trust me."

Luna looked at Harry with her usual dreamy expression. At first it seemed as though she hadn't heard a word he said. Then she picked up her sandwich and took a bite out of it. Harry smiled at the girl and took a bite of his own sandwich.

* * *

"My lord I assure you that everything is in our control." 

Blood red eyes stared coldly at the man in front of him. "Then why don't we have him yet, Lucius?"

Lucius Malfoy's silver eyes narrowed as he focused on the ground. "My lord, there was no way that we could have forseen this." His eyes narrowed even further. A plan was forming quickly in his mind. "Wasn't it Bellatrix who was supposed to handle this situation? What about Severus?"

"Severus has done his job," Voldemort hissed.

"What's the matter Lucius?" Another figure appeared beside Voldemort. This one had pale sallow skin and a hooked nose. His eyes were like black beetles and his ebony hair was long and appeared greasy. "Having trouble living up to the Malfoy name?"

"Keep your tongue behind your teeth Snape!" Lucius advanced on his fellow death eater and grabbed him by the collar of his robe. "The Malfoy name will not be mocked by a filthy half-blood. How do we know whose side you are truly on?" Lucius asked with a smirk.

"I believe that I was the one who killed that old fool Dumbledore." Snape shrugged Lucius' hands off of his robes. "I believe that once again a Malfoy failed to live up to his name."

"Do not insult me with the mention of my son!"

"Perhaps Narcissa then?" Severus asked coldly.

"Enough!" Voldemort demanded in his high pitched voice. "Severus has done his job! We went through great pains to release you Lucius. You had better not make me regret it. Who knows, your fate may even hinge upon the success of your son."

Lucius took a step back and nodded. "Yes my lord."

"Now we have other business to take care of. Now that Severus' allegiance has been proved we have lost our spy."

Snape smirked coldly. "I think that I have a solution to our problem my lord. If you are willing to go out on a limb that is."

"You have not failed me so far Severus," Voldemort said in his raspy voice. "Do not start now."

"Yes…my lord." Snape bowed down to Voldemort but his eyes never left his master. "I will not fail."

**End Chapter**

* * *

**Another chapter to add to the list. How is Harry going to get along with Luna? What is Snape planning in that Slytherin mind of his? We may find out in the next chapter. I need some reviews here! Come on and help me out!**


	4. Chapter 4: Saved by the enemy

**Okay, the last chapter was a little short and probably a bit boring. I'm just trying to introduce the characters and get a little bit of character development. So to the few people who are still reading this thing, thank you. Without further ado, here is the fourth chapter.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. If I did I would use Voldemort as my personal ****hit man**

**Voldemort: Pfft. Filthy muggle.**

**Me: Lousy half breed.**

**Voldemort: Crucio!**

* * *

**Chapter 4:**** Saved by the Enemy  
**

It had been almost two weeks since Luna had moved in and nothing truly special had happened. Or at least that's what Harry had thought. Ever since Luna had moved in Harry had been having a much easier summer. Having another magically inclined person in the house made things much better. Now he had someone to talk to about the magical aspects of his life. Since coming to live with him Luna had found herself feeling a little bit closer to Harry. She had always known that Harry was her friend but she still didn't feel very close to him. The problem was that she didn't really know anything about him. Harry felt the same way. He didn't know anything about the enigmatic Ravenclaw. Every time he thought that he knew something about her, she would turn his perceptions upside down. Then again, that was why he liked Luna so much.

Ever since Harry told Luna about the prophecy and the horcruxes there had been no more talk on the subject. Harry was glad for this. He didn't want Luna to get involved in something like this. He had already put Ron and Hermione in danger but they were used to it. The more he thought about the situation the more complicated it had become. If he asked Luna to come with him he knew that she would say yes. And in a way he wanted her to come along with him. But at the same time he couldn't live with himself if she got hurt because of him. There were so many factors to consider and Harry wasn't the best thinker.

Harry woke up with a yawn. He reached over and grabbed his glasses off the chair. He put them on only to find that Luna had once again curled herself up next to him. This had become common place since Luna had started to share a room with him. Harry tried to be a gentleman and give her the bed. Yet every morning he woke up to find her sleeping next to him. At first it bothered him a little that he would wake up to see her right there. Now it was so familiar that it didn't bother him at all. Actually it made him feel quite comfortable. Not to mention that his nightmares were fewer and farther between. Of course Harry had chalked all of this up to mere coincidence. As he looked at the sleeping girl he couldn't help but realize how much of an effect she had on him. On the few occasions that he did have a bad nightmare she was right there to talk to him about. Or if he didn't want to talk she was just there for him. In turn Harry found himself becoming increasingly protective of the younger girl. He had never felt so comfortable with someone and at the same time felt so uncomfortable. It was a feeling that he preferred not to think of right now.

Harry slipped out from her grip; he had gotten pretty good at doing that without waking her up. It was time for his morning run. Usually he could go on a full run and get back before she even woke up. Other times he just felt content to lay there and wait until she would wake up. Of course whenever that would happen Luna would turn away from him and become really quiet. He wondered if it was something that she actually got embarrassed about. If it was then he decided that he would save her the embarrassment this morning. He stood up as quietly as possible and shrugged off the t-shirt he was wearing. He pulled out a black sleeveless shirt and pulled it on. Then he removed his glasses and replaced them with his contact lenses.

"Are you going out again?"

Harry turned around and looked at Luna. She was sitting up and rubbing her eyes with one hand. Harry couldn't help but think that her movements were almost cat like. "Yes. Do you want to come along?" This would be the perfect time for the two of them to talk.

Luna nodded. "I don't want to be alone here."

"Can't blame you."

Luna slipped her shoes on and followed Harry out of the room. They continued down the stairs and out of the front door. Harry noticed all of the weird looks that they received while walking down the street. Luna on the other hand was completely oblivious to the looks. Either that or she just didn't care. Harry wondered how Uncle Vernon explained this to the neighbors. After all he had a strangely dressed girl and a boy that attended St. Brutus's Secure Center for Incurably Criminal Boys living in his house. His eyes shifted over to Luna who was almost skipping alongside him. They walked in silence until they reached the park. The park was one of Luna's favorite places to go. She liked to watch the animals and the children play. One of her favorite things to do in the park was play on the swings. Most people thought that would be childish. Harry found it to be a charming quality. Speaking of another charming quality.

"Luna why do you keep sleeping next to me?" Harry asked curiously.

This time Luna did blush. She brushed a strand of hair behind her ear and averted her gaze. For some reason she didn't want Harry to know that she was blushing. "…It-it makes me feel safe."

Harry was surprised to hear her say that. There was a hint of timidity in her voice that he had never heard before. "You feel safe? Most people should fear for their lives when they're around me?" He said jokingly. "I'm crackers remember?"

"Why?" Luna asked quizzically. "I'm not afraid to be around you."

"Well that makes one person." He stopped and Luna stopped just beside him. "Luna, why do you trust me?"

"Because you are a good person," Luna answered. Again she made it seem like the most natural response in the world. "You're the type of person who puts others before himself, a real hero."

Harry scoffed at her and pulled a sour face. "Hate to say this, but your wrong. I'm not some perfect hero that is always going to beat the evil," he said angrily.

Luna took her hand in his and gave it a light squeeze. "And you don't have to be."

"Luna…"

"It doesn't matter whether or not you are perfect. You're my friend and that's reason enough to trust you."

Harry ran a hand through his hair then placed it on her shoulder. "I really needed to hear that."

Luna smiled and nodded. "No problem."

Harry was about to reply when he heard some shouting. He turned around and sighed. "Not again."

"What's the matter?"

Harry groaned and pointed to the scene that was happening near the playground. Dudley, Piers, and some of their gang were picking on another little kid. Harry recognized the little girl from around the neighborhood. He was about to just mind his own business until he saw Dudley push the little girl to the ground. He motioned for Luna to wait where she was and he ran over to the little girl. Harry got there just in time to stop Malcolm Baddock from pushing the little girl down a second time. He pushed Malcolm to the side. He rushed into the group and helped the little girl to her feet.

"Are you okay?" The little girl nodded. Harry stood back up and placed himself between the little girl and Dudley's gang. "Picking on a girl is pretty low Dudders," Harry taunted.

"Shut it Potter!" Piers growled. "This is none of your business!"

Dudley nodded in agreement. "I swear Potter if you didn't have your…" Harry blinked and took a step back. "I see," Dudley sneered. "You don't have it with you do you?" He asked with a smirk.

Harry took a step back, confirming Dudley's assumption. Dudley motioned to Piers; the brown haired boy jumped forward and hit Harry hard in the stomach. The girl screamed and Harry dropped to the ground clutching his stomach. Harry felt that all the wind had been driven out of him and he struggled to get back to his feet.

"Harry!" Harry felt two pairs of hands on his back and looked up into Luna's concerned face. And the little girl was directly behind him. "Are you okay?"

"Awwww, the little girlfriend is here. Isn't that cute?" Dudley teased in a baby voice. The rest of the guys laughed at Dudley. "This is going to be fun."

Malcolm grabbed Luna by the hair and threw her to the ground. Harry gritted his teeth in anger and got to his feet. He motioned for the little girl to go over to Luna and she obeyed. Malcolm turned around and laughed at Harry's efforts. He clenched his right hand into a fist and pulled back. Harry saw the attack coming before it could even be launched. Malcolm's fist shot out, aiming for Harry's head. Harry pulled his head to the side just in time to avoid the attack. He brought his knee up, burying it deep into Malcolm's stomach. The attack surprised the other boys and caused Malcolm to double over in pain.

Harry backed up so that he was kneeling beside Luna and the other girl. "Are you okay Luna?"

Luna nodded and allowed Harry to help her to her feet. Luna held the girls hand and Harry ushered both of them behind him. "Luna stay behind me."

Dudley laughed, his chins jiggling. "You got a lucky shot in Potter," he spat. "Think you can beat all of us?"

Malcolm, Dennis and Piers formed back at Dudley's side. "I can try," Harry answered wearily.

"And I can help."

"Bill!" Harry exclaimed.

Bill walked up from behind Dudley and the others and walked up to Harry's side. "Can't you ever stay out of trouble Harry?"

"You know me Bill. Like to keep busy and all."

"Who in the bloody hell are you?!" Dudley asked. The only thing that showed that he was afraid was his slightly cracking voice.

"Just a guy passing through," B ill replied with a smile. "Saw you all _playing _with Harry here and decided to drop in." He brushed a strand of his fire red hair behind his ear. "Don't tell me you are afraid of four against three."

"Three?" Luna asked.

Bill nodded. "Yeah. You, me, and Harry. You can take the little one, right Harry?"

Harry laughed sarcastically at Bill's little joke. "Very funny," he said, blushing slightly.

Dudley and the rest of his gang backed away from Bill. The wild looking young man had them a little scared. "It's a little different when you have to fight someone your size. Why don't you sod off you git!"

Piers looked to Dudley for an answer as to what to do. Dudley shook with anger; if Bill hadn't shown up he would have given Harry the beating of his life. "Let's get out of here. You'll pay for this Potter."

Bill laughed at Dudley's threat as the boys trudged away. "Are you okay Harry?" Harry nodded. "What about you Luna?" He asked with a smile.

"I am fine William. Thank you."

Bill grimaced. He hated the name William. "Call me Bill."

Harry smiled and felt someone tugging on his sleeve. He looked down and saw the little girl looking up at him shyly. "Th-thank you for helping me. My name is Emily."

Luna smiled at the little girl in a friendly way. "My name is Luna. This is Harry and William."

"Bill. My name is Bill," Bill groaned.

Emily giggled and looked at Luna. "Do you want to come and play on the swings with me?"

Luna's eyes lit up at the prospect. "I would love to."

Emily smiled at Luna and led her away towards the swings. Harry watched her go with a small smile. Bill looked at Harry and then Luna with a smile. "Harry, everything okay mate?"

Harry shook his head. "Sorry what?"

"I asked if you were okay."

"Yeah I'm fine. Listen Bill. Thanks for helping me out back there." He walked over to a bench and took a seat.

Bill followed the example and took a seat next to him. "So how are you and Luna coming along?"

Harry shook his head. "It certainly is very interesting. She's…"

"Interesting," Bill suggested. Harry nodded and laughed. "Well the two of you seem to be getting along very well."

Harry ignored the implied suggestion of the statement. "How is Ron doing? What about Ginny?"

"That's right. I forgot that you were dating my baby sister," Bill teased. "Isn't that so cuuuuttteee?"

Harry glared at the redhead. "Just tell me how she is."

"Ginny is just fine. She's been asking about you." Harry smiled. He missed both Ginny and Ron. "Looks like you have a new girlfriend though."

Harry's cheeks flushed a light shade of pink. "She is not my girlfriend!" He cried, waving his arms frantically.

Bill burst out laughing and patted Harry on the shoulder. "Relax mate. I'm just playing around."

Harry took a deep breath. "It's alright." He leaned back against the bench and fingered his earring.

"Nice look by the way." Bill complimented. "It suit's you well."

"Well I had a little inspiration."

Bill smirked. "I don't know who that could be."

"So how are you feeling? No fur spouting out anywhere?"

"Not that I know of. Have some pretty wicked looking fangs though." Bill pulled his lower lip to the side to reveal sharp looking canines.

"That is pretty cool. How is Fleur doing?"

Bill groaned. "She's doing fine. She's going mental, trying to prepare for the wedding. Doesn't help that she wants my help as well."

Bill tried to make it sound like he was annoyed with her but Harry detected the hidden emotion in his eyes. When he mentioned Fleur a twinkle appeared in Bills eyes. "You really care about her don't you?"

Bill smiled. "I love her."

"I know what you mean."

Luna smiled as she rested on the swing next to Emily. "So how old are you Emily?"

"Eleven," Emily replied. "But I'm so short. Everyone thinks that I'm younger."

"Don't worry. I used to be really short to." Luna looked down at herself and chuckled. "I guess I still am. But do you think Harry and William were always so tall?"

"Harry seems really nice."

Luna began to swing back and forth now. "He is. He's one of the nicest people I've ever met."

"He's also really cute. Don't you think?" Emily asked.

"I-I never noticed," Luna replied. She blushed and fidgeted with her hands. The truth was she had thought that Harry was cute since the moment they first met.

"Is he your boyfriend?"

Luna's swinging stopped dead. She felt her cheeks heat up and she turned to Emily with an actual surprised look on her face. "…What?"

"Well he seems very protective of you. And you look at him with a dreamy expression. Like the one you have now."

"This is my normal expression."

"You are going to be able to make the wedding right?" Bill asked Harry.

"Of course," Harry said. He cracked his neck and flexed his hands. "I wouldn't miss it for the world. So when does your shift end?"

"About ten minutes. I have to go and act as information boy for the Order. What are your plans?"

"Probably going out to dinner. Ever since Luna came to stay with me, my relatives have been less than accepting of me."

"Considering they don't like our kind, it's not surprising. What time is it anyways?"

"Almost eight."

Bill groaned. "I better get out of here. Tonks will kill me if she finds out that you aren't in the house."

Harry chuckled. "Are you actually afraid of Tonks?"

"Hey! She is damn scary when she wants to be."Harry was about to retort when Luna and Emily walked back towards them. "Hey Luna, are you still going to come to the wedding."

Luna smiled at bill happily. "Of course William. I'm looking forward to it."

Bill's left eye twitched slightly. "Bill. Bill. My name is Bill," he said in exasperation. "Anyways I have to be on my way."

"Thank you for helping us Bill," Emily smiled.

"No problem kiddo."

"Yeah Bill. I really appreciate it."

Luna turned to Harry and offered him a smile. "I think that we should let William be on his way."

Harry noticed Bill make strangling motions behind Luna's back. Harry shook his head and Emily giggled. Bill took a deep breath to try and calm himself down. He really hated that name. Giving them one last wave he quickly ran to a place where he could apparate. To be honest it was about time he and Luna were on their way. He wanted to get back to the house before Tonks did. If he didn't than both him and Bill would be in the fire. He turned towards Emily and rubbed the back of his head.

"Sorry Emily, but Luna and I have to get going. Will you be okay?"

Emily smiled back at Harry. "It's okay. My house isn't too far from here." She gesticulated to some of the houses across the street. Emily put her hands behind her back. All of a sudden she seemed really sad.

"Is something wrong?" Harry asked, kneeling down so that he was at eye level with her.

"Will I ever see you guys again?"

Luna smiled and placed her hand on Emily's shoulder. "Don't worry. I have a feeling that this meeting was no coincidence."

Emily smiled happily and hugged Harry. "Thank you Harry." Harry awkwardly patted the girl on her head. He never had been very good at this kind of contact. "Thank you Luna." She turned around and hugged Luna as well.

Luna hugged the girl back. "You're welcome," she said dreamily.

"Try and think about what I said." Luna started blushing and looked away from her. This didn't go unnoticed by Harry. "I'll see you guys later." She waved and skipped off.

Harry waved back and then turned back to Luna. "What was that all about?"

"She is a very intelligent girl," Luna replied evasively. She turned around and walked away from a confused Harry.

A figure shrouded in a dark cloak ducked into an alley. He pulled out a wand and cast a disillusionment charm on himself. Things were already getting difficult and he wasn't even half way done with his trip. The main problem with this trip was that the muggles kept slowing him down. Especially those, what were they, polimen? That was it. Or at least he was sure that was what they were called. As much as he didn't like muggles, he needed to get through this without a body count. He had already used a stunning curse on at least half a dozen of them.

"I have to find him," he whispered to himself. "Privet Drive. He lives somewhere on Privet Drive."

Harry sat on his bed tossing a golden snitch into the air and catching it almost instantly later. He had taken the snitch from school and this was just something he did when they were bored. Luna was at the table working on some of the summer work she had been assigned. Most of the work she had found easy and was able to do on her own. On the problems that she didn't know she would ask Harry for help. She found it helpful to have someone that had already been through the year. This had been their activity for most of the day. In fact the sun had just started to go down a few minutes ago.

Harry released the struggling snitch from the grasp of his right hand. There was a quick fluttering of wings before his left hand closed around the tiny golden orb. Harry had had a bad feeling ever since he and Luna arrived back home. There was no Tonks there to yell at him when he got back. He couldn't even sense another person there. He hoped that she was okay. A sudden tapping on the window pane made him lose his grip on the snitch. He was barely able to catch the speedy object again. Luna didn't even look up from the potions essay that she was working on. The sound hadn't affected her concentration one bit.

"There's someone at the window," Luna replied.

"Really?" Harry asked sarcastically.

Luna turned around and looked at him perplexedly. "Yes I believe so." She cocked her head at him in confusion.

Harry sighed. He turned to the window and saw three owls. He got up to open the window and three owls flew inside. One of them was a large barn owl that flew over and landed on the desk in front of Luna. A smaller screech owl landed on Harry's bed. A spotted owl carrying a small rectangular package and a letter landed on top of his dresser. Hedwig glared at each of the newcomers in a territorial manner. Judging by the wax seals on the envelopes in the barn owl's mouth it was from Hogwarts. The screech owl was from the Ministry of Magic. Neither Harry nor Luna recognized the seal on the letter that the spotted owl was carrying. After relieving all of the owls of their burdens and giving them some treats they took off back out the window.

"Wow, that's a lot of owls," Harry replied. He reached for the letter from the Ministry first. He guessed that it was for him about the improper use of magic. He saw that letter belonged to Luna and held it out to her. "This is for you," he said with a bit of surprise.

Luna took the envelope from him and broke the seal. She took the letter out and gave it a once over. "It's from the Improper use of Magic office," she explained. "It's because I used magic the other day."

"Wait a second," Harry interrupted, "I've been using magic to. How come I haven't gotten a warning yet?"

"What kinds of spells were they?"

Harry ran a hand through his hair but the long locks fell back into his face. "I used it to change the color in my hair."

"The Ministry was probably too busy to detect such a low power spell. Color changing spells don't have a large degree of power."

"I didn't know that."

Luna nodded. "Anything more complicated than that can be detected though."

"I guess that you'll just have to be more careful."

"You're never careful."

"…Do as I say not as I do."

Luna opened the letter from Hogwarts and began to read silently. "It's the usual school letter. You have one to." She said handing him the letter.

Harry accepted the letter from her and opened it up. Inside he found the usual note signed by Professor McGonagall.

_Dear Mr. Potter,_

_ Please note that the new school year will begin on September the first. Hogwarts Express will leave from King's __Cross__ station, platform nine and three quarters, at eleven o'clock. Make sure that you are on time. Due to a rise __in recent attacks, security has been increased. The train will leave promptly at eleven._

_ A list of the required school books is enclosed inside._

_Yours sincerely,_

_ Professor M. McGonagall_

Harry sighed. He flicked a strand of hair behind his ear and tossed the letter to the side. "Doesn't matter. "I'm not going back to school."

"But what about-"

"I said that I'm not going back Luna!" Harry snapped angrily. Luna flinched. She had seen Harry get angry but he had never gotten angry at her before. After how close they had gotten over the summer it sort of stung at her. "What's in the package?" Harry asked gently.

Luna looked up and saw him smiling back at her gently. She picked up the package and read the writing on the letter. "It's for you" she said quietly. She handed the package over to him.

Harry accepted the package from her with a small grimace. He felt as though he had scared Luna; he wanted to say something but his attention was captured by the package. "There's no name on this." Luna just looked at him.

For a minute all they did was look at the package. Then Harry took the letter off of the box and opened it up. Harry looked at the letter and his face turned pale. Luna noticed him stagger backwards and fall onto his bed. She ran to his side and grabbed his hand.

"Harry? Harry what's wrong?" She asked calmly. Acting in a panic could only serve to make things worse.

"…The letter." Luna looked at the letter and her own face lit up in mild shock. "What do I do?"

"Open it," Luna replied gently. She forgot all about Harry snapping at her and began to rub his arm in a comforting way.

Harry ran a shaky hand along the seal, breaking it. He pulled out the letter and started to read aloud.

_Dear Harry,_

_ If you are reading this then I am afraid it means I am dead. There was nothing I could do to stop event of my death, or help you. The truth is Harry that I have lied to you. I've kept you in the dark on many things, under pretense of keeping you safe. Things of which I __can't__ go over in this letter. Some of them must be said._

_ Have you ever wondered why you were able to summon Gryffindor's sword? I should have told you sooner that only a direct descendant of the Gryffindor bloodline can summon the sword. The Potter family is indeed a side branch of the Gryffindor main branch family. All you have to do to summon the __sword__ is imagine the __feel of the blade in your hand and it will appear. As I once said, only a true Gryffindor could summon the blade._

_ Though I could not help you in life, perhaps there is a way to help in death. Much of my estate has gone to Hogwarts to aid in the war against Voldemort. But to you I leave two of my most valuable __possessions. __In the package Harry is my wand.__ I hope that it serves you well.__ And lastly I leave you Fawkes. Please take care of the old bird. He still has some fight left in him. I'm afraid that I must cut this short Harry. My time is very limited these days. Please be careful. If there is one thing that I still have in my old age it is this. Faith. Faith that once again the light will pierce the darkness like a knife. Faith in you Harry.__ Do not give up. You will find the way._

_Sincerely,_

_ Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore_

_P.S. __It may be wise to trust those that you have no reason to trust._

_P.S.S. Fawkes likes a lemon drop every once in a while._

Harry dropped the letter onto the bed between him and Luna. He picked up the package with his shaking hands and ripped off the plain brown wrapping. The absence of wrapping revealed a highly polished rectangular oak box. Harry removed the lid. Inside the box was lined with a rich dark blue velvet material. Harry recognized the wand in the box as Dumbledore's. It was a perfectly polished yew wood. The wand was oddly shaped with three small balls in the middle of the shaft, the wand ended in a point. It was a magnificently crafted wand.

Harry stared at the wand blankly. After reading the letter a gamut of emotions ran through him. He felt pride at the words of trust that Dumbledore had praised him with. Anxiety at once again being reminded that the fate of the world rested on his shoulders. Mostly he felt anger. He was angry that Dumbledore died before he could complete his training. He was angry that Dumbledore admitted to his lying in a letter and not to his face. He had always known that that the headmaster had been lying to him. Harry just preferred to not to believe his own assumptions but seeing it on paper made it all too real for him. It was too real to handle.

"H-How can…" Harry's hand clenched, crumpling the paper.

"Harry?"

Harry jumped up and started pacing the room like a mad man. "How can he sound so casual, even in writing?!" Harry questioned angrily.

"Harry you can't let this letter get to you," Luna said. She stood up and tried to pacify her friend.

Harry turned to look at her and she was surprised at what she saw. Tears looked like they were welling in his emerald green eyes. "He was my mentor. I trusted him." He sat down and started to slip on his boots.

"And he trusted you."

"No." Harry shook his head firmly. "He used me," he whispered. "He shaped me, to use me as a weapon. That's all I am." Harry turned around and started to walk out of the door.

"Harry, how can you believe that?"

"What else should I believe," he asked with a shrug of his shoulders.

Luna watched helplessly as Harry left the room. Normally coming up with something to say wouldn't be a problem for her. In a situation like this though she had no idea what to say. She sat down and tied her shoes hastily. She had to go after him in case he decided to do something stupid. In her haste to get her shoes on and leave the room she left her wand behind. It didn't take her long to catch up to Harry. He was still at the end of the street by the time she made it out of the door. Luna ran as fast as she could and eventually fell into step beside Harry. Luna never wanted any attention before but now she was trying to get Harry to look at her. It seemed as though he didn't even notice she was there. Either that or he was ignoring her on purpose.

From the corner of his eye he could see Luna looking up at him. She was trying to gain his attention but he didn't really care. He wasn't thinking about anyone else but himself right now. There was too much pressure on him right now. Not to mention that the looks Luna was giving him made him feel guilty. He wasn't mad at her; he was just having a hard time dealing with this right now. When he had a hard time dealing with things he often took it out on other people. Harry glanced at Luna and saw that the dreamy expression as back on her face. He knew better now though. After living with Luna for a couple of weeks it had become sort of easy for him to tell when she was upset.

"I'm not mad at you."

Luna looked up at him with a soft gaze. "I'm not worried about that," she said softly. She slipped her hand into Harry's and gave it a light squeeze. The two of them stopped, not paying attention to their surroundings. "I'm worried about you."

Harry took her other hand and looked her directly in the eyes. "Don't be. I'm fine."

"You're a bad liar." Luna reached up and pushed a strand of hair out of Harry's face. She let the hand rest on his face. "Do you really think that you are a weapon?"

Harry took a shaky breath. "I've been marked as a weapon my entire life."

"By this?" Luna traced a finger over the scar on his forehead softly.

Harry blushed and fidgeted nervously. Luna had a real problem with personal boundaries. Harry reached up and rested his hand over hers. "Luna I can't change what I have to do. My destiny is to become a murderer. What kind of person does that make me?"

"I don't know what makes a person a murderer a murderer. But you Harry Potter are not a murderer." Luna leaned into him and rested her head against his chest. "You are a good person. I don't know what I would have done if you hadn't been here."

"I-I haven't done anything for you."

Luna pulled away slightly and stared straight into deep emerald pools. "You let me stay with you when I had nowhere else to go. You protected me and treated me like a real friend."

"I've heard you say more words in one day than you have all summer," Harry jibed lightly. He didn't fully appreciate the situation at hand.

"You've become very important to me. When you act like this…" The blond trailed off and looked away from Harry's face. "I want to help."

Harry smiled back at her. "You already have helped."

"I want to come with you when you go to look for the horcruxes."

Harry pulled himself from Luna's arms and stared at her. "Luna…I can't let you get involved. If you get hurt because of me-"

"I want to go. It won't be your fault if I get hurt."

Harry opened his mouth to argue but suddenly stopped. Everything around them had suddenly gotten darker; Harry couldn't even see past Luna. It blocked out all of the stars and even the street lamps that shined overhead. He saw Luna shiver and knew that she felt the cold as well. The cold was even more intense than when he had come across Cedric only weeks ago. Luna started to shake from the icy cold feeling that spread throughout her body. She had only felt this feeling once before in her third year. It was when the dementors were sent to guard the school from Sirius Black in her second year. Memories began to assault her, a woman without a face and the lifeless body of a man. She started to tremble even more and fell to her knees.

Harry drew his wand from his pants pocket and fell to her side. "Luna! Luna are you okay?!"

"I-I d-don't have my wand," she said trembling.

"Just stay near me!"

Harry straightened up so that he was at his full height. He could feel Luna's hand tighten around the leg of his pants. He tried to calm himself down and bring happy memories to the front of his mind. A chill of fear crept down his spine and made him shiver. He could hear long slow rattling breaths coming from the shadows. He turned around, trying to locate the dementors in the dark.

"Got him. Expect-"

One of the cloaked figures swooped by and knocked Harry off of his feet. He hit the ground hard and his wand flew out of his hand. It hit the ground with a clatter and rolled just out of reach. Luna tried to scramble for the wand but a large white hand gripped her shoulder. It pulled her down and rolled her over on her back. The painful memories made Luna cry out in pain. She curled over on her side in the fetal position, trying to protect herself from the attacks. She opened her eyes and saw the dementor floating above her head. She tried to scream but the creatures putrid breath was smothering her. The dementor lowered its faceless head closer to Luna's mouth. She struggled as hard as she could but the dementor had an iron strong grip. The faceless inhaled hard trying to extricate her soul. Luna screamed as hard as she could at the top of her lungs.

Harry tried to struggle back against the dementor but his efforts were futile. Once they had you it was all over. He heard a blood curdling scream and turned to see a second dementor trying to administer the kiss to Luna. He opened his mouth to call out to her and the dementor above him took advantage. It lowered its hooded head and started to pull Harry's soul from his body. Harry tried to struggle again but the dementor resumed sucking at his soul. Just before he blacked out he saw a flash of silver from somewhere to the side.

"Expecto Patronum!"

A large silver creature smashed into the dementor, flinging the dark creature to the ground. The silver figure of the Patronus turned to attack the dementor near Luna. The dementors gave what could have been called a scream of terror before gliding away. A blurry figure leaned over Harry and sniffed indignantly.

"And you're supposed to be the savior of our world," the figure spat.

Harry groaned and tried to sit up. He felt too weak and his vision was still blurry. "Who-who are you?"

"What's the matter Potter? Got some sort of hero's amnesia?" Asked a sarcastic and arrogant voice.

Harry's eyes shot open wide He recognized the arrogance that laced the voice. It couldn't be. What was he doing here in muggle London? Why did he save them when he could have just let them die? He leaned up and glared at the smirking young man in front of him.

"Impossible," he whispered.

"Don't tell me you're afraid of the big bad Slytherin?" The figure leaned back, revealing a pale face and silvery blond hair.

"M-Malfoy?"

The young man smiled back at him. "In the flesh Potter." Draco said, raising his wand.

**End Chapter**

* * *

**Since that is over with I can finally get back to concentrating at work. I almost killed one of my co-workers with a scroll saw! Of course I'm starting a new chapter right now, so they better watch out. For you one or two readers out there review and help me save the endangered ****Snorcacks**


	5. Chapter 5: For Revenge

**I've been out of the game for a long time. I had this chapter written out once before but my entire hard drive been wiped by a virus. So here's my second shot at it.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. Leave me alone!**

**Key**

_Italics-Character actions in pensieve "Italics"-Characters talking in pensieve_

* * *

**Chapter 5: For Revenge**

Harry stared up from his place on the ground with a blank expression. The world seemed to keep throwing curveballs his way. One moment he was walking down the street and then everything went black. Then he was thrown on his back and nearly killed by a couple of dementors. Now here he was again with fate deciding to continue its game of 'Can You Top This?!' Harry glared at the wand that was pointed in his face. His green eyes shifted up to the pale silver eyes of the wand's owner. The man standing over him was no taller than he was. His pale face was lightly smudged with dirt. Malfoy smirked down at Harry. He took a deep sense of satisfaction in seeing Harry so defenseless. The young Slytherin smirked coldly and hovered over Harry as if he was a predator closing in on his prey. Harry shook his head, trying to find the words he wanted to say.

Finally he was able to get over his shock enough to form words. "What? What are you doing here Malfoy?" He growled.

"What's the matter Potter?" Draco sneered. He gripped his wand tighter, his smirk widened. "Not used to this are you?"

Harry's eyes swiveled over to his wand that was laying only a couple of feet away. All he had to do was stall until he could get to his wand. "Nice quip Malfoy. What can you do without your Slytherin friends?!" Harry put all of his strength into his legs and leapt for his wand.

"Accio wand!" Harry's wand soared just out of his reach and into Draco's open hand. "Tsk tsk Potter. Is this how you thank someone for saving your life?"

"S-saving my life?" Harry's eyes opened wide. Was Draco really the one that saved him?

The Patronus charm was an extremely advanced spell that even some fully grown wizards had trouble using. Had Draco really gotten all that strong? Even so, why would he save him? He and Draco hated one another with a burning passion. It had been that way since their first day at Hogwarts. Harry had no reason to believe that Draco saved him out of the goodness of his heart. Besides it wasn't like you could trust a Malfoy anyways.

"…Why would you help me?" Harry asked suspiciously.

Draco waved Harry's wand mockingly. "Manners Potter. I didn't do this to save your life if that's what you're thinking." His silver eyes narrowed. "I think you should be more worried about her." He pointed to the left with his wand.

"Luna!"

With the arrival of his nemesis Harry had almost forgotten that Luna had been with him. It often got that way when Malfoy was involved. Harry rushed to the young girl's side in a flash. Luna was lying on the ground, curled up in the fetal position. Her small frame was trembling and her skin had gone several shades paler. Her eyes were squeezed shut tight and she kept shaking her head. Harry tried his best to calm her down but she didn't appear to be listening.

"Luna?!" He questioned frantically. He gently shook her trying to get her attention. "Come on Luna! Say something please!"

The young Ravenclaw refused to say anything or even look at him. That was why Harry didn't want her to get involved with him. Sooner or later she was bound to be hurt. Draco sneered contemptuously at the way Harry was acting. Still if he wanted his plan to work he was going to have to play nice for now. He took Harry's wand and tucked it securely into his belt. However, he kept a firm grip on his own wand as he approached the two teens. Out of the corner of his eye Harry saw Draco getting closer and closer. He quickly jumped to his feet and stood in between Draco and Luna. Malfoy watched Harry with a mildly annoyed look on his face.

"Stay away from her Malfoy!" Harry growled.

Comfortable with the advantage that he had, Draco stepped up closer so that he was right in Harry's face. "You are in no position to make demands Potter." He spat the name Potter out like it was a vile poison. "Besides," he stepped around Harry, "if I wanted to kill you…I would have."

Draco knelt down beside Luna and nodded. "She's in shock. The dementors had quite the affect on her."

Harry looked at Draco curiously. There was hint of amusement mixed in with what might have been called anxiety. "What am I going to do?" Harry asked himself.

"You live around here right? We have to get out of the streets." A noise on the street outside caught his attention and he flinched unnoticeably. "I can help her but we have to go," he said firmly.

Harry noticed an abrupt change in the Slytherin's behavior and it made him suspicious. Draco suddenly seemed very nervous about being out in the open. He started to look down both sides of the alley in an almost paranoid manner. Harry knew that Draco was right about getting off the streets. Still there was no way that he could possibly trust Draco Malfoy. His eyes shifted over to the trembling form of Luna. That was all it took for him to make up his mind. His distrust of Draco was nothing compared to his will to help Luna. Right now she was at the top of his priority list. He turned to the blond teen and nodded reluctantly.

"Okay," Harry whispered.

Draco stopped looking out at the street and turned to Harry. "What?"

Harry groaned and shook his head. Malfoy must have really been enjoying this. "I said fine."

"Are you sure that you can trust me Potter?" Draco asked incredulously.

"I know that I can't trust you. But she needs help."

Harry knelt down next to Luna and pulled her up to her knees. He pulled her arms up so that they were wrapped around his neck. He hooked his hands behind the back of her knees and stood up. One thing that he was very grateful for was the fact that Luna was so light. Making sure that he had a firm grip on Luna he started for the end of the alley.

"Are you coming or not?"

Draco smirked and raised his wand. "Fine. Try anything funny and I'll hex you," he stated in all seriousness.

Just as they reached the end of the alley Draco stooped down to pick up a black bag from the ground. Taking one cautious glance around Harry saw that there was nothing they could consider a threat. He walked out of the alley keeping a tight grip on Luna. Draco followed closely behind Harry with his wand raised. Number 4 Privet Drive was about a twenty minute walk from where they were. At some insistent prodding from Draco he broke off at a small run. He ran as fast as he could with Luna on his back. Draco stuck close to him to make sure that he would try and trick him. After about fifteen minutes of running Number 4 was finally in sight. It was a good thing to. Harry's arms started to turn rubbery and his legs were about to give out on him. Even if someone didn't weigh much, a practically unconscious person was dead weight. As the three wizards reached the front walk a light drizzle started to fall. Harry turned his head and nodded towards the house.

"This is it," he rasped.

Draco ran ahead of him and up to the door. "Alohamora." He waved his wand quickly and the locks in the door began to click. "Come on!"

Draco threw open the door with a loud bang and rushed inside. Harry followed closely behind the other wizard and used his foot to push the door closed. For a second no one said anything and they tried to catch their breath. Harry walked over to the stairs and set Luna down on the first step. He was about to suggest that they move out of the hall when he heard thundering footsteps. A second later Uncle Vernon, Aunt Petunia and Dudley came bursting into the hall. Petunia's eyes immediately focused on Luna who was still sitting motionless on the step. Vernon and Dudley immediately turned to look at Draco. Uncle Vernon's bushy mustache twitched with annoyance.

"What's going on here?!" He bellowed. He pointed at Draco with a shaky finger. "Who the ruddy hell are you?!"

Draco swiped at his cloak as if he were wiping off spit. He turned bored silver eyes to the large man and scoffed. "Come on Potter. Let's not waste time with them." Draco walked over to the stairs and stepped over Luna.

"Who do you think you are?!" Vernon roared angrily. "You are one of them aren't you? One of those freaks!"

Draco stopped in mid stride up the stairs. He turned around and stepped down over Luna. He faced Vernon and held his wand straight out. "No filthy muggle will ever talk to me that way," he snarled. "Aveda Kedav-"

"Are you crazy?!" Harry cried. He placed a hand on Draco's shoulder to keep him from killing Vernon.

Draco shoved his hand off like it was some kind of offending creature. "Fine. Stupefy!" He cried.

A jet of red burst forth from Draco's wand and hit Vernon square in the chest. The force of the blast was strong enough to send the big man crashing to the ground. Petunia screamed and knelt down beside her husband. Dudley had cried in a rather cowardly way and leapt into the living room. Harry shook his head at the scene Draco had made even though he found it just a little amusing. Draco seemed very proud of his handy work and bent down to pick up his bag.

"Lead the way Potter," he ordered. To reinforce that he was in charge he gave his wand a small flourish.

Harry picked Luna up bridal style and started to walk up the stairs. "Don't worry. Man his size will be up soon. Wouldn't envy the headache though."

Harry led Draco up the stairs and into his room. Once they were inside Draco shut the door and used his magic to lock it. When he turned around Harry was sitting on the bed stroking Luna's hair. Since coming across the two of them in the alley he had noticed how protective Harry was of the young girl. To him it didn't mean much more than leverage. He set his black bag down on the floor and opened it up. He dug around inside the bag and pulled out a vial of green liquid.

"Give her this." He tossed the vial to Harry who caught it deftly in his right hand. "Have her drink all of it."

"What is this?" Harry asked.

"Relax Potter. Like I said, if I wanted to kill you I would have done it."

Harry looked cautiously at the potion then at Luna. If he wanted to help her then he would just have to trust Malfoy. "You had better hope this works Malfoy," Harry threatened. He pressed the vial to Luna's lips but she tucked her head further into her chest. "Come on Luna," he begged. "You have to drink this."

Draco rolled his eyes. "Stop babying her Potter." Draco set his wand down on the desk. He walked over and snatched the potion from Harry's hands. Before Harry could stop him he pulled Luna's head up and shoved the bottle into her mouth. He forced the bitter liquid down her throat, making her cough.

"Stop it! You're hurting her!" Luna began choking and bolted upright; this caused Harry and Draco to jump away. She started to turn her head frantically and when she saw Harry she threw her arms around his waist. "Luna?" He asked, putting his own arms around her.

"Harry," she choked out. "It…it was t-terrible." Her skin started to regain some color in her face but she still looked very frightened.

"Yeah I know," he whispered.

Luna turned her head to the side and saw Draco standing in the room with them. She cocked her head curiously and it was as if all her fear had gone away. "Hello," she greeted casually. "What are you doing here?"

"We aren't exactly friends you know?"

"He…saved us," Harry said reluctantly.

Luna looked a little surprised by this and Draco merely shook his head. "I didn't bloody save you."

"Then who did?" Luna asked curiously.

Harry glanced behind Luna and saw Dumbledore's wand lying in hit's box. He inched his hand towards the wand, his fingers brushed the handle. Luna seemed to know what Harry was thinking and started to edge over.

"Believe me Potter. I didn't do it to save you and Loony out of the kindness of my heart."

"Then why did you?" Harry asked. His hand closed around the handle of the wand. He reached up and gently rubbed Luna's back as a signal. The Ravenclaw leapt to the ground and Harry pulled the wand up. "Expelliarmus!"

The wand went flying from Draco's left hand and he quickly drew Harry's wand with his right. The two faced one another in a standoff. The tension between the two of them was thick enough to cut with a knife. Luna looked between the two wizards. Despite the fact that no one was pointing a wand at her, she felt vulnerable without her wand. Neither Harry nor Draco said a thing. All they did was try to stare each other down.

"What is your game Malfoy? Why the hell did you come here?" Harry shook his head. "Scratch that. We hate each other. Why did you save us?" Luna stood back up and moved to Harry's side.

"Because my success depends on your survival," he blurted angrily.

Harry and Luna looked at one another and shrugged. "What do you mean?" Harry asked. As much as he wanted to hex Malfoy he had become intrigued.

Draco sighed and lowered his head. "I was going to have to tell you sooner or later. Let's just say that the dark lord and I no longer see eye to eye."

"Rubbish!" Harry growled. "Why should we believe you!"

"Why didn't I just kill you?" Draco shot back.

Luna rested her hand on Harry's wand hand and gently forced him to lower his hand. "He saved us. The least we can do is hear him out."

"But Luna…"

"I would listen to her if I were you Potter. For once she's actually making sense. Because you see, we can greatly benefit one another."

"And how is that?" Harry muttered.

"Because we both want the same thing." Harry quirked an eyebrow in curiosity.

"And what is that?" Harry asked derisively.

Draco's lips curved up into his famous Slytherin grin. "Revenge."

* * *

"It's your move." Dark brown eyes glanced up from the table to look at the young man sitting across the table. "Bill it's your move. Oi Bill!" 

Bill started and tore his gaze away from the table. "Sorry. Did you say something Kingsley?"

The tall auror looked at Bill with a questioning gaze. "I said that it's your move." Bill glanced down at the chessboard and absentmindedly moved his bishop to attack. Kingsley took the bishop with his pawn and quirked an eyebrow. "Are you okay mate? You usually have me in checkmate by now."

Bill leaned back in his chair and shook his. "Just a little frazzled over the wedding."

"Ha! If your frazzled now, wait until you've been married as long as I have."

"Yeah I guess," Bill laughed.

"Not to doubt you Bill. But if you're here, then who's guarding Harry."

Bill moved one of his pieces on the board. "I switched with Tonks. And you're in check."

"Damn," Kingsley cursed.

The sound of boots echoed off of the stone floor of the dimly lit kitchen but they paid no mind to it. "Hey guys!" Greeted a cheerful voice.

"Hey Tonks," they greeted in unison.

Both men looked up from the chessboard and at each other. Bill leaned over so that he could see past Kingsley and Kingsley turned around in his seat. Looking in the small fridge was a young woman in her early twenties. She had a petite build and appeared to be only a few inches shorter than Bill. She was dressed in a pair of light blue jeans that hugged her form tightly. She wore a black fishnet shirt over a purple tank top. Her hair was a vibrant shade of purple.

"Alright!" She cheered. She turned around holding a plate with a slice of pie. She grabbed a fork out of the drawer and walked over to the table. She sat down and immediately dug into the pie. Feeling some eyes on her she looked up from the plate. "Hey guys. What's up?" She asked nervously.

Bill shook his head in disbelief. "Tonks what are you doing here?!" He nearly shouted.

The young witch shrunk back in her chair and smiled innocently at them. "Pie?" She asked sweetly. Her pink eyes shifted between the two men.

"What I think Bill is trying to say is: Why aren't you guarding Harry?" Kingsley asked firmly.

"Because it's Bill's turn," she replied crisply. She took another bite of pie and shook her head.

Bill smacked his forehead. "Tonks we switched shifts remember?"

Tonks nodded. "Of course I do Bill! I'm not stupid!" She cleared her throat. "You were going to take over for me today and I was going to take over for you tomorrow."

"The deal was that I take your morning shift and you take my night shift."

"No it wasn't," Tonks argued.

"Was too!" Bill cried.

"Was not!" Cried Tonks.

**"Children!"** Kingsley cut in. The two younger magic users stopped and looked at Kingsley. "If you two are here, and I'm here, then who's watching Harry?"

Each of them looked at the others in turn. There was a sudden mad dash for the door when the three of them jumped up from the table. Tonks tripped, bringing the boys down with her.

* * *

"Revenge?" Luna asked. She broke what had been a long standing silence. 

Draco started to open his mouth but Harry cut him off. "How can we believe what you are saying?"

Draco walked over and picked his wand up off of the ground. He tossed Harry's wand on the bed and leaned back against the desk. "I figured you would say that. That's why I'm going to show you." He reached into his bag and pulled out a stone basin.

"Is that a pensieve?" Luna asked. She strode up to Draco and looked at the basin expectantly.

Draco suddenly felt uncomfortable having the girl so close. She obviously had no sense of personal boundaries. "Um yeah," he replied. Draco shoved his way past her and set the pensieve on the table.

"You're going to show us a memory?" Harry asked.

Draco turned to Harry. "I'm going to show you a reason. But what you see does not leave this room."

"What room?" Luna asked.

Harry and Draco looked at her with blank faces. Finally the Slytherin just sighed and raised his wand to his temple. He closed his eyes in concentration and pulled the wand away slowly. A silver strand clung to the end of the wand and appeared to be coming out of his head. Draco turned back to the basin and tapped his wand with his finger. The strand fell from the tip of the wand and floated down into the basin. The memory swirled around in the pensieve like it was alive. Luna had never seen a pensieve before but she knew how it worked from her studies. The blond lowered her head towards the basin to get a better look.

"Are you coming Harry?" Luna asked.

Harry still wasn't sure about all of this. He didn't trust Draco any further than he could throw him. "…Fine." He raised his wand, "I'm keeping an eye on you."

Draco rolled his eyes at Harry and placed his head in the pensieve. Luna followed his example and a second later Harry walked up next to her and did the same. For a second it seemed as though nothing happened. Then the three teens were lifted off of their feet. It felt as though they were falling. All around them different faces and scenery rushed by at top speed. Before long they found themselves back on solid ground.

**Pensieve**

When the three teens opened their eyes again they were standing in a rundown cabin. The room they were in had a couch, a small table, and nothing more. The boards of the floors were dusty and the walls were covered in grime. Harry and Luna were so busy looking around the room in that they didn't even notice the people in the memory. Harry looked at Draco, noticing that his pale face was screwed up with an unreadable expression. For the briefest second Harry thought he saw a flicker of pain in the Slytherin's silver eyes. He followed Draco's stare and tapped Luna on the shoulder.

Standing not too far away from them was Lucius Malfoy, his wife Narcissa and Draco himself. Narcissa looked panicked and she appeared to be in an argument with her husband. The copied memory of Draco was sitting on the arm of the old couch. It appeared as though he wasn't listening to the argument at all.

"Malfoy what is-"

"Quiet!" He hissed at them. He pointed towards his family. "Watch."

Harry and Luna did as they were told and turned to watch the memory play out.

_"Lucius, we have to get away from here!" Narcissa cried frantically. "The dark lord won't forgive us this time!"_

_Lucius smirked viciously at his wife. "The dark lord has already forgiven me. In fact it was his idea to __break us out. He sent me here to prove my lo__yalty and straighten out Draco," he replied in his silky voice._

_"Straighten me out," Draco asked indignantly. "I would have killed the old man myself if Snape hadn't shown __up," he boasted._

_"You were a coward!"_

_"Perhaps he was a fool for sending me on such an impossible task."_

_Lucius backhanded Draco sharply across the face. __"How dare you speak of the dark lord in such a disrespectful manner?!" __He hissed. "You've tarnished my reputation with him. And to be saved by that pathetic Severus Snape."_

_"At least he was there…"_

_Lucius struck out with his right hand, hitting Draco sharply in the temple. The force of the blow knocked him to the ground. "I'll teach you to disrespect me b__oy." He kicked Draco hard in the ribs and continued to kick him savagely. Draco gritted his teeth against the pain, this wasn't exactly an uncommon occurrence. "Idiot!"_

_Draco crawled onto all fours. The youngest Malfoy gasped desperately for air. "__How (gasp) could you…expect me to kill Dumbledore?"_

_Lucius smashed his cane into Draco's head, knocking him to the ground again. "Lucius!"_

_"Shut up!" Narcissa jumped and backed away from her husband.__ She wanted to help her son but __she was too frightened. Lucius knelt down beside Draco; he grabbed a handful of his hair and pulled his head up. "My deepest regret is calling you my son."_

Harry and Luna turned their attention to Draco. The young Slytherin was glaring at the memory induced image of his father. His hands were clenched and shaking. It was almost as if he wanted to attack the memory.

_"You'll be lucky if he doesn't kill you_," _Lucius spat. "In fact I think that I will save him the trouble." He drew his wand fr__om his cane and pointed the tip at Draco. "Crucio!"_

_Draco started to writhe in pain, resisting the urge to scream out loud. A few more seconds was all that it took for him to crack. The young __Slytherin__ cried out in agony. A few seconds under the torture curse was enough to break anyone._

Luna turned her gaze away from the scene and buried her face in Harry's shoulder. She had never considered herself squeamish but she couldn't stand to watch the torture. Harry placed a hand on her shoulder and turned to look at Draco. He could see the pained look in the silver eyes. However, it wasn't a look of physical pain. This was something else, something Harry himself knew all too well.

_"Expelliarmus!"_

Harry and Luna turned around just in time to see Lucius' wand fly from his hands. Narcissa was now standing between Lucius and her son with wand raised. At the same time she looked both frightened and determined.

_"Lucius you're killing him!" She cried. Tears were threatening to spill from her eyes at this point. "Why are you doing this?!"_

_"Because it's my job. The boy defied us and the dark lord. He has to die."_

_"Do you hear yourself Lucius!" She cried desperately. "You are talking about killing your son!" Her hands started to tremble and Draco was able to make it to his knees. "You are not the man I married."_

_Lucius pulled a hurt face that was obviously a fake. "__Narcissa__ is that what you think." He walked closer to her and wrapped his arms around her thin frame. "Because I am exactly the man you married."_

_Narcissa pulled away slightly to look at her husband. With a quick sleight of hand he pulled a knife from her cloak and stabbed her in the stomach. Draco's eyes widened. Narcissa fell to the ground right in front of his eyes. She was dead before she hit the ground; her wand rolling to the side. The young man gently ran his hand through his mother's hair in stunned silence. He looked too shocked __to even cry. _

_"__Wh-what did y__ou do?" He whispered._

_"What I had to Draco. Come, we can finish what we started. Together we can fix this world." He offered him his hand._

_Draco pulled the knife from his mother's stomach with a sickening squelch sound. The blade was slick with blood. Draco stood up on shaky legs and glared at his father__. "I'll change the world," he answered. His voice was shaking with restrained anger. "But not with you!" He leapt at his father with knife in hand._

"Enough!" Draco cried.

**End Pensieve**

Before the three teens knew what happened they were back in Harry's room. Draco turned away from them and leaned back against the wall. Harry and Luna turned to look at the young man. Harry never thought that he would feel anything more than apathy for a member of the Malfoy family. This was different. He knew that Draco was more fond of his mother than his father. Harry remembered last year when he saw Draco in the bathroom about ready to cry. He knew that Draco was upset and was trying to hide it. No matter what he had against the young man he could sympathize with him. No one should have to see someone they care about taken away from them. He didn't know what to say, so it was lucky that Luna was there.

"Would you like to talk Draco Malfoy?" Luna asked tentatively. Harry could tell that she was trying to put her own feelings about her father aside. All in order to help someone who did nothing but torture her.

Draco looked up and glared at Luna. "Not on your life Lovegood." He smoothed his hair back with his hand and stood up straight.

Harry decided to ignore the fact that Draco was being rude for the moment. After having to relive that memory he couldn't blame him. "So…your father is the one you want revenge on?"

"Bloody brilliant Potter!" Draco sneered. "You would have made an excellent Ravenclaw," he said sarcastically.

Again Harry ignored him. "What I want to know is: Why did you save us?"

"That should be obvious by now. The reason that my father killed my mother was because of Voldemort." He choked slightly on the name but was able to say it all the same. "I want my revenge but I can't do it alone. Voldemort can't be beaten by me. For that I need the supposed…savior. What do you say Potter?"

"What would we get out of it?" Harry asked.

"Harry," Luna scolded gently.

"No, that's good. You would have made a decent Slytherin." Harry shuddered and Draco smirked. If he wanted to get anywhere he was going to have to make an offer. "I'm offering a truce Potter. We put our differences aside. I can teach you spells and fencing. Not to mention I have information on Death Eater attacks."

A look of recognition spread over Luna's face. "You're willing to turn spy?"

"I will do whatever it takes. As long as I'm the one that kills my father."

Luna looked a little horrified at his statement but chose not to say anything. Harry on the other hand didn't seem fazed at all. After all he didn't really have the right to judge. "Malfoy, give us a second."

Harry pulled Luna off to the side of the room and Draco turned his back to them. Before he started talking he pointed his wand at Draco's back and muttered, "Muffliatto." Then he turned to Luna and sighed. "What do you think?"

Luna looked at Harry curiously. "He asked you. It doesn't matter what I think."

Harry sighed. Obviously she still had some issues with her self esteem. "Luna you live here to. I would really appreciate your opinion."

"Really?"

"You know all about the Horcruxes. You're in as far as I am if you want to be."

Luna smile. Not one of her dreamy smiles but a genuine one. It was something he hadn't seen since she came to stay with him. "I know you don't trust him. " She patted him on the shoulder. "But I think that he deserves a second chance."

Harry knew that she would say that. Luna wasn't the type of person to turn someone away when they needed help. He on the other hand was thinking about this from a more logical point of view. Draco saved his life so he technically owed him one. Not to mention that he was a Death Eater. He probably had some valuable information not to mention that he could teach them some good spells. But could he really trust Draco? What he saw in the pensieve was definitely real. He knew from personal experience that it was extremely hard to fake a memory. He had Slughorn to thank for that. Luna seemed to think that Draco was trustworthy so he would trust him for now. First they needed to set down a few stipulations.

Harry muttered a counter for the charm he put on Draco and walked over to him. "Why were my ears buzzing?" He asked.

"…No idea," Harry replied as nonchalantly as possible. He suddenly became very serious. "I don't trust you Malfoy." He sighed. "However I need to learn more powerful spells. Besides Luna trusts you and I trust her."

"Thank you Harry," Luna replied.

Draco smirked. "So we have a deal then Potter?"

"Not yet." Harry shook his head. "We need to make a few arrangements first."

"What kind of arrangements?" Draco asked. He narrowed his eyes at Harry; he didn't like the way that this was heading.

"I don't trust you. And I have the right to call off our truce if I have a good reason." Draco shrugged and nodded at him. "Also you can't call Luna 'Loony' and you can't use the term mudblood either."

Draco groaned at this. One of his favorite words had to be deleted from his vocabulary. "Fine. But when we're training you can't question me. And you can't try and make me get along with anyone."

"Fine. But you have to be civil to my friends."

"You have to keep your friends away from me."

"Deal. Do you have anything to add to this Luna?"

"When we talk we have to use each other's first names. It might make us friendlier with one another," she suggested.

Draco nodded. "Fine. I'll try my best not to talk to either of you. So do we have an agreement then Potter?" He asked, offering Harry his hand.

Harry looked at the hand cautiously. "I know that I am going to regret this sooner or later." What happened next seemed to happen in slow motion to the two boys. Harry reached out and shook hands with Draco. "Why do I feel like I made a deal with the devil?"

Draco smirked and squeezed his hand hard. For a tense moment deep emerald pools stared into cold silver orbs. Luna smiled at the scene in front of her. She didn't notice that the two of them were trying their best to break the others hand.

"The sorting hat will be so happy," she said unexpectedly.

Harry and Draco turned to give the blond completely bewildered look. And just like that the wizarding world's strangest team was born.

**End Chapter**

* * *

**Does anyone else fear for the fate of the wizarding ****world?**** Anyways, I apologize for** **taking so long to update. My computer has been acting funny and I'm ****kind of**** lazy. Do me a favor and hit that little lilac colored button in the lower left hand corner. I think it says 'review.' Let me know what you guys think. I'll try to update soon.**


	6. Chapter 6:Trust In Thy Enemy

**Now that one of my favorite characters has been introduced the story should be a little more fun for me to write. For anyone who is still reading this, thank you. Let's get on with it.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.**

* * *

Chapter 6: Trust in Thy Enemy 

A yawn escaped the lips of one Luna Lovegood. She rolled over in bed and turned her bleary silver eyes towards the window. She blanched back and pulled the covers over her head. Luna smiled slightly as memories of last night came to mind. The encounter with the dementors wasn't too pleasant too bring back to mind. But then she remembered that both her and Harry had been saved by Draco Malfoy of all people. She always had the feeling that Draco was really a kind person. Now they even had a deal with the Death Eater. Even if Malfoy said it was only for his benefit she knew better. He needed friends just like everyone else did. This was why she was determined to make sure that Draco and Harry got along. The last thing that they needed was for the two of them to be at one another's throats. Luna pulled the covers off and sat up in bed. She almost jumped onto the floor when she remembered that's where the boys were sleeping.

Luna peered over the edge of the bed and cocked her head in her normal curious fashion. Draco and Harry were still lying on the floor of the room. Both of them were wide awake and glaring at one another with wands in hand. The bags under their eyes suggested that they had been awake all night. Luna wasn't sure if she should say something to them or not. After all it wasn't her place to ask. And she always minded her own business.

"Good morning!" She greeted as if nothing were wrong. She received no greeting from the boys; they just continued to stare. "Have you been up all night?"

Draco shook his head. "No. I sprayed Bubotuber puss in my eyes to make them nice and red."

"Why would you do that?" Luna asked perplexedly.

Draco groaned and shook his head. Harry pulled himself into a sitting position. "He's just being a prat Luna."

Harry and Draco continued to stare heatedly. Before they could start in on one another Luna interrupted. "What are we going to do today?" She asked.

There was a moment of silence. It had become apparent that neither of the boys had thought about this. Harry was about to make a suggestion when he heard a tapping at his window. Harry knew that it was probably Remus checking up on him again. What would happen if he saw Draco with him in his room? He turned to tell Draco to get down but the Slytherin was one step ahead of him. Draco pushed himself up against the wall so that he would be out of view when Harry opened the window. Harry nodded at Draco and walked over to open the window. Standing out in the yard was Tonks and Bill, both of them waved for him to come down. Harry waved back and nodded.

"Who's out there?" Luna asked.

"Bill and Tonks."

"Oh great. A bloody auror."

"Just stay in here Malfoy."

"Yeah. Because I was really thinking about going out there," he said sarcastically.

"Come on Luna."

The Ravenclaw followed Harry out of the room and into the hall. "I'm proud of you."

Harry looked at her as they descended the stairs. "What do you mean Luna?"

"You left Draco alone."

"Better than leaving him alone with you."

Harry led her down the stairs and out of the front door. "Thank Merlin your okay!" Tonks cried. She rushed up to Harry and wrapped her arms around his neck. "And Luna you to."

"Hello Nymphadora," she greeted airily. "It is good to see you again. You to William."

Harry watched Bill and Tonks twitch unnoticeably. Neither them really liked their given name. "Why do you insist on calling me William?" Bill asked gruffly.

"It's your name?" She said rather bluntly.

Tonks finally let go of Harry. She turned to face Luna with a glare. "Why can't you call me Tonks?!"

"It's rude to address someone by their last name," Luna stated simply.

Before the conversation could go any farther, Harry decided that it was time to cut in. "More importantly, why are you guys acting so crackers?"

"Our dear auror here," Bill tapped Tonks on the top of her head, "forgot that she was supposed to cover the night shift."

Tonks twiddled her thumbs and muttered, "Did not." Harry looked at Tonks and noticed that she seemed a little upset.

"It's no big deal. We're both alright. Right Luna?" He didn't see any need to mention the attack by the dementors.

Luna nodded. "That's right. We even have a new-"

Harry rushed over and covered Luna's mouth with his hand. "Luna and I have to go now! See ya!" He said in a rush.

He hurried back into the house with Luna at his side. Bill and Tonks shared a suspicious look. "What do you think that was all about?" Tonks asked.

Bill shook his head. "No idea. He seemed kind of …"

"Strange," she offered.

"Yeah. Let's keep an eye on him."

Once they were back inside the house Harry shut the door and turned to Luna. "Luna, you can't tell them about Malfoy. Tonks is an auror. We still need him, for now."

"But she wouldn't arrest him if he turned spy."

Harry sighed and shook his head. After all the torture that she had been through at school it was a wonder that she could still be so innocent. Or at least act innocent. "Things don't work that way Luna. Besides, we don't even know if he is on our side."

"It really does look like he is on our side."

"We can't go on chance Luna."

"Those who show kindness to their enemies will receive it from the enemy," she quoted. "And from others to."

With that said she turned around and walked up the stairs. Harry watched her retreating back and sighed. He should have known that things were going to get more complicated now that the three of them were in the same house. Not to mention that him and Draco working together was like opening Pandora's Box. Harry rotated his shoulders and followed the blond up the stairs. When he got back to his room Luna was sitting on the bed and Draco was looking around the room. Harry watched him curiously.

"What are you doing?" he asked.

"You wanted to start training as soon as possible right?"

Harry looked a little dumbfounded. That wasn't the response that he had been expecting. "Um…sure?"

Draco nodded. "Figured as much. First of all this room is far too small." He said. His silver eyes glanced around and a look of disgust spread over his face.

"Sorry we weren't all born rich Malfoy," Harry said snidely.

"You forgot handsome and talented to Potter," he said arrogantly. Harry just rolled his eyes in response. Draco drew his wand and Harry started to go for his. "Relax Potter. We just have to expand the size of the room."

Harry blinked. "You know how to do that?"

"Yeah," Draco nodded. If you two care to stop being useless you could always help."

"I'm too young to use magic outside of school Draco."

"Call me Malfoy. What about you Potter? Worried about being expelled from school?"

Harry shrugged. "Not even sure if I'm going back. More worried about having my wand snapped in two."

Draco groaned and shook his head. "Are you two helpless? Let me see your wands."

Harry looked at him as if he had grown a second head. "Here you go," Luna said instantly.

Even Draco looked surprised by her willingness to give up her wand. Harry just smacked himself on the forehead. Draco drew his own wand from his belt and waved it over Luna's in complicated motions. He whispered something and a purple light emerged from the center of the wand. The light made the wand shake for a second in his hand before it burst and spread out before finally disappearing. He handed the wand back to Luna. She took the wand from him and gave it a small test wave.

"What did you do?" She asked curiously.

"Every wand has a sort of magical lock that allows the ministry to keep track of the wizard. When an underage wizard uses magic the lock alerts the ministry. It normally doesn't go away until the wizard turns seventeen, but I broke the lock."

"So what you're saying is that Luna can use magic without the ministry being able to follow her?" Harry asked.

"Yes, and it gives the wand a little more p-"

"Diffindo!"

A book that was near the boys exploded; sending bits of paper and binding everywhere. When the two of them turned around Luna was sitting on the floor rubbing her head. "More power?" Harry guessed. He offered her a hand and pulled her to her feet. "Are you alright Luna?"

"Why wouldn't I be?"

"Never mind. It's your turn, isn't it?"

Harry turned around and saw Draco holding his hand out. There was a long reluctant pause before he finally handed his wand over. Draco made the same motions with his wand. Again there was a glow, this one green, and then the lock was broken. Draco handed the wand back to its owner and motioned for him to give it a wave. Harry gave his wand an experimental wave and felt the difference immediately.

"It feels more…free."

"I wouldn't know I've had mine off since I got it. Now can we get started?"

"Won't people notice my house growing?" Harry asked.

Luna chuckled. "That's why we're only expanding the inside silly."

"Of course. Why didn't I think about that?" When she turned around Harry just rolled his eyes.

"Do you know the expansion spell Harry?"

"Yeah we learned it in charms."

"Then let's get started."

So the three teens set about their work of expanding the inside of the room. It was a slow process that was made even slower by the way that Draco and Harry kept fighting over which wall they got to expand. When the job was done the room was almost three times bigger than before. They couldn't go any further without changing the physical structure of the house. As soon as they were done Harry moved back to admire the job they had done. With that much room they would be able to fit another decent sized bed in the room. His desk and dresser were no longer against the wall. Hedwig hooted in a sort of awestruck manner. Harry suggested that they put an Impervius charm around the room and Luna did the honors.

"Are you ready to start training now Potter?" Malfoy asked.

Harry looked over at Luna with a slightly apprehensive look on his face. The Ravenclaw girl on the other hand seemed to be completely calm. "I'm wondering if there's anything that you can actually teach us."

"As I understand it," Draco drawled, "you like the Dark Arts. You proved that in the Ministry of Magic in fifth year. Didn't you?" He asked with a sneer.

"Don't," Harry warned.

"Come on Potter, didn't it feel good? That kind of power."

"Harry, what is he talking about?" Luna asked innocently.

"Shut your mouth Malfoy!"

"Did it feel good? Hitting Bellatrix Lestrange with the Cruciatus Curse." Luna's wide silver orbs grew even wider. Draco readied his wand and faced Harry. "But it didn't work right did it? Here's the first lesson: Crucio!"

Luna jumped back out of the way and Harry fell to the ground convulsing in pain. Draco kept the curse up making Harry cry out in pain. He raised his wand, lifting the curse. Luna ran over and knelt down beside Harry. The concern in her wide eyes confirmed at least one thing to Draco.

"Come on Potter. Grab your wand and get up!" He shouted.

"Harry?" Luna asked. She tried to help him stand but Harry waved her off.

There was no way he would show weakness up on in front of a Malfoy. He gripped his wand in his hand and stood up on shaky legs. He pointed his wand at Draco and muttered, "Crucio!"

A jet of red shot from his wand and hit Draco squarely in the shoulder. The Slytherin growled in pain and stumbled just for a second. "Not…bad. But you don't get it do you? To use the Cruciatus Curse you have to really want to cause pain. Crucio!"

Again Harry fell to his knees and started to writhe in pain. Draco increased the power of the curse forcing him to cry in anguish. "Stop it please!" Luna shouted.

Draco scoffed and lifted the curse from Harry. "Come on Potter. Don't hate me enough?" Harry tried to do the curse again but it was so weak that Draco was able to deflect it. "Do you remember the way your pathetic godfather died? What about the way that you threw away Diggory's life?" He could see Harry's eyes cloud over in pain and anger. It was working. "Imagine what would happen if you lost your friends."

"Draco please stop." Luna shook her head and backed up against the wall. "Why are you doing this?"

"I imagine the Weasel King wouldn't last three seconds. Or perhaps maybe…Lovegood?" Draco turned and pointed his wand at the younger girl. "Shall we find out?"

Luna drew her wand to defend herself but she found that there would be no need. Harry pushed himself up off the ground and aimed his wand at Draco. The look in his eyes scared Luna. There was something in them that was beyond anger. It was the one thing that was needed to use the Unforgiveable Curses. Pure hatred.

Draco raised an eyebrow in intrigue. "Your righteous anger will get you nowhere."

"Crucio!"

The curse hit Draco dead in his chest. This time the results were much different from the first couple of times. Draco fell to the ground and began squirming in pain. The curse wasn't as strong as Voldemort's or his father's but it held a fair deal of power. Harry kept up the curse until Draco growled out in pain. After that it was too hard for him to keep up the curse anymore. He lifted the curse and stumbled backwards onto his bed. There was a shell shocked look on the young man's face. Luna turned to look at him and then Draco. Oddly enough there appeared to be a smirk on Draco's face. Other than the winces of pain the young man looked absolutely fine. Luna walked over to Harry and placed and arm on his shoulder.

Draco saw the savior begin to calm down when Luna patted him on the shoulder. _'__I figured as much. So Lovegood is the thing that sets him off.__ Interesting.' _

"Are you okay?" Draco looked up from the ground. Luna was kneeling down next to him offering him a hand. Draco was a little unnerved by the Ravenclaw. No matter how nasty people were to her she insisted on being helpful.

"I'm fine." He pulled himself up to his feet and shook his head. "Not bad Potter. It was too short though." He turned his gaze to Luna and nodded. "Your turn Lovegood." The smile on his face suggested that he was looking forward to this.

Luna shook her head. "No."

"What?" Draco asked.

A flash of green appeared in front of Luna's eyes. She stepped back and rubbed her left arm subconsciously. "I…don't want to learn those spells. I shouldn't need to." Luna turned around and walked over to the window.

Harry followed her over to the window and patted her on the shoulder. "You don't have to." He turned around and walked back over to Malfoy. "I don't think we should force her to learn the curses."

"I thought that you wouldn't question my methods Potter?"

"Not when you're training me. But you can't force her to learn a spell that she doesn't want to learn," Harry argued.

Draco's eyes narrowed dangerously. "I'm not going to put up with any weakness. She has to learn sooner or later."

"I won't force her to learn them."

"Fine. But one day she'll have to learn what the spells look like. And learn how to deal with them."

"And she will. Just give her some more time." Harry sighed and shook his head. "Is there anything else you can teach us? Something that's not an unforgiveable."

Draco shook his head. "Not now."

"Why not."

"Because we would need targets for them," he explained calmly. "And it's best if they aren't us."

Harry groaned angrily. He didn't want to give up on the training just yet. "Isn't there anything that you can teach us at all?"

"What about fencing?" The two boys stopped glaring at one another and looked over at Luna. "I've always wanted to try and learn fencing."

Harry nodded. "That sounds like a fair idea."

"You're going to have to wait," Draco replied. "I have to go and get equipment."

"How long is that going to take?" Harry asked in exasperation.

"As long as apparating takes me." Draco stood up and disappeared with a small crack.

"What do you think about all of this Luna?"

"I think that we should be more careful about what we say in front of him."

Harry nodded. "Good idea. Who knows what he might be telling Voldemort."

Luna sighed at Harry's obvious distrust. "I meant that we aren't being so nice to him."

Harry groaned and shook his head.

* * *

Draco moved along the shadows of the trees as fast as he possibly could. The Disillusionment charm that he placed on himself didn't exactly make him invisible. All it did was help him hide just a little bit better. As soon as he came out of the woods a huge mansion came into view. From the outside it looked like a normal mansion but he knew for a fact that it was abandoned. Hoping that the anti-apparition wards weren't up he closed his eyes in concentration. He imagined a particular room of the house and twisted his body. Draco felt the familiar feel of being squeezed and then it stopped just as suddenly as it started. When he opened his eyes again he was in a dark room. Despite how sunny it was outside only a small ray of light was able to penetrate the curtains of the room. 

"Okay," Draco nodded. "I'm inside, but where?" He took out his wand and gave a small jab. "Lumos!" A beam of light shot from the tip of the wand, illuminating the room. "I'm in my room."

The room he was in was dusty but lavishly decorated. Hardwood maple floors ran from wall to wall. A large four poster bed; like the ones at Hogwarts stood against the far wall. Dark green curtains made of silk were drawn over the bed. Several tapestries including one with the Slytherin crest adorned the wall. Memories started to come to Draco and he had to shake his head to get it clear. After his father had finally been ousted as a Death Eater the Ministry had seized their manor. There was no telling when officials would come and search the house again. He made his way over to the door and pulled the handle. The door opened with a small creak and Draco stepped out into the hall. As far as he could tell, everything was just the same as they had left it.

Draco continued down the dimly lit hall until he reached the foyer. He didn't waste any time in running down the stairs and into lobby. When he reached the bottom of the stairwell he turned left and went through a heavy oak door. He found himself in a long dark hallway with doors on either side. Draco counted the doors as he walked by them. When he reached the fifth door he opened it and quickly ran inside. The room was small and rectangular. It was where his father kept all of the swords for training as well as various other weapons. The young man searched the walls until he found what he was searching for. Hanging from the racks were several European style rapiers. The hilts and hand guards were mad of silver and covered with intricate designs. He grabbed a roll away off of the opposite wall and laid it out on the ground. He picked out three rapiers and rolled them up in the equipment satchel. He slung the bag over his shoulder and ran from the room.

He quickly made his way to the lobby where he would be able to better apparate. As soon as Draco reached the lobby he stopped and closed his eyes. He tried to picture Harry's room but something happened. He heard something inside of the house. Who else could have been inside. His family abandoned the house and all of the house elves were taken for questioning. He waited for a moment and the sound came again. Whoever it was it was a girl, and she sounded young. He turned towards the foyer and his silver eyes opened wide. Standing at the top of the staircase was a little girl of no more than eight years old. Her silver blond hair was pulled back into a long ponytail. She was dressed in a sleeveless blue sundress that fell down to her knees. It sounded like she was talking to someone but he couldn't tell who.

_"Come one Draco," the little girl called. Her voice was melodic and ethereal.__ "Let's go out and play!"_

Draco started shaking and the bag fell from his shoulder with a thump. The little girl turned around; her dress flaring out around her knees. The little girl's face was round and pretty. She smiled brightly, showing a set of pearly white teeth. She started to run down the stairs, seemingly in slow motion. Draco watched in disbelief as the little girl drew closer and closer to him. He felt all the strength leave his body in a mere second. The air around him became cold; his breath could be seen in the air. The little girl reached the bottom of the steps and he reached out to her. Just as his hand was about to touch her shoulder she disappeared into thin air. Draco took a shuddering breath and fell to his knees. A gamut of emotions assaulted the young man, stealing the breath from his body. Draco leaned forward, pressing his palms flat against the marble floor.

Despite all of the emotions running through him, one word escaped his lips in a whisper. "Arianna…"

* * *

Harry leaned back on his bed, a groan escaping his lips. "Where in the bloody hell is he? He's been gone all day." Luna looked up from her potions book and glanced out of the window. The sun had gone down about an hour ago. It shouldn't have taken Draco that long to get their fencing equipment. Truth be told she was starting to wonder what had happened to him. It wasn't as if she completely trusted Draco at this point in time. She didn't exactly like him too much either. However, there was nothing wrong about worrying for the safety of others. Even if they used to be one of your worst enemies. The Ravenclaw turned back to her potions essay to try and get her mind off of everything. Unfortunately it wasn't working. Potions weren't her strong suit and this particular essay was rather tough. Harry looked over at the girl and noticed that she seemed to be having trouble. Putting his suspicions about Draco aside, he got up from the bed. He walked over to her and placed his hand on the desk. 

"Do you need some help?"

Luna looked up at him and nodded softly. "Please?" She requested.

Harry looked at the title of the essay and smirked. "Polyjuice Potion? Finally, something in Potions class that I actually know about."

Just as he was getting ready to help her, the door to his room opened up. Draco walked through the door carrying a couple of bags of stuff. The bags were in the colors of the Slytherin House and bore the crest of the Malfoy family. Draco dropped the bags on the floor and knelt down next to them.

"What the ruddy hell took you so long? It's dark," Harry said. In Luna's opinion this was rather rude.

Draco looked up at him from the bags and shook his head. "I wanted to get some extra things and spend some time in my house. Is that alright your lordship?" He asked sarcastically.

Harry wasn't sure why but he felt a sudden jolt of guilt about getting after Draco. Luna looked closer at the young man and noticed that something was wrong. There were streaks under his eyes that made it look as though he had been crying. Except for the memory in the pensieve she had never really thought of Draco as the crying type. Whatever happened must have been pretty serious.

"Besides, it looks like you've managed to keep busy while I was gone."

Harry and Luna looked around the room. During their associate's absence they had become bored and decided to do a little work on the room. With some clever Transfiguration they were able to turn a chair into a bed that was small enough for one person. They transfigured Harry's bedside table into a second dresser. Some rearranging had also been done his absence. The beds were separated from one another and moved to opposite ends of the room. The desk was moved over to the wall with the window. One Dresser was placed on each side of the room at the foot of the beds. With the exception the various school books littering the floor, the room was now quite nice.

"Right. It's too late to start training and we need to talk about sleeping arrangements."

Draco nodded firmly. "I am not going through what happened last night."

"For once I think I agree with you," Harry said. He motioned towards Luna and said, "Luna should automatically get one of the beds."

"Fair enough."

Luna smiled slight at the two boys. They were both gentlemen in at least one respect. "Thank you both. You guys could share the bed." The two boys gave her disgusted looks. "Well you could take turns."

"Fine. But how would we decide who gets it first?" Draco asked.

Harry nodded. His eyes were drawn to something in one of Draco's bags. It appeared to be a very old chess set. The surrounding edges and base of the board were made of highly polished oak. The actual top of the board was made of marble. Harry pointed to the board and smiled.

"You play?"

Draco looked at the board and shook his head. "It's an antique my grandfather left me. Only played it once or twice," he said casually.

"That's how we'll decide," Harry said impulsively. "We'll play for the first night."

Draco picked up the board and nodded. "All right Potter. You're on."

In mere seconds the chessboard had been set up and the game was on its way. Draco chose the black pieces and Harry took control of the white. The game had only gone for about nine turns before Harry found that his king had been trapped in the corner. It seemed like no matter what he did there was no way of getting out of Draco's trap. Luna had been watching the game very closely and she didn't even seem surprised at how the game was turning out. Draco moved his remaining knight into position, putting Harry in checkmate and ending the game. Harry stared down at the board in utter shock. He knew that Ron was good but Draco beat him faster than Ron ever had. It wasn't even ten moves and the game was already over.

"How did you?" Harry asked in shock. "You said that you only played once or twice!"

Draco shook his head bemusedly. "No. I said that I only played with this board once or twice. I've been to the world championships three times."

Harry turned to get an idea about what Luna thought. Unfortunately the girl was once again spaced out. Her large silver eyes were staring at some random part of the ceiling. Hedwig followed her example and was also staring up at the ceiling. Harry shook his head and turned his head back to Malfoy.

"You didn't tell me that!"

Draco shrugged and replied, "Slytherin remember. Besides, I only won twice."

"Oh well isn't that a bloody shame," Harry grumbled.

Draco just laughed and walked over to the transfigured bed. He plopped down and laid his head back on the pillow. "Enjoy your night on the floor Potter." He laughed again.

"Harry?" Harry turned around and found Luna to be right up in his face. Feeling a little uncomfortable with her closeness he took a step back. "You may have my bed tonight if you wish."

Harry smiled at her and shook his head. "Don't worry about it Luna. You take the bed. I've rather gotten used to the floor."

Luna gave him a curious look before getting into the bed. She glanced over at Draco to make sure that he wasn't paying any attention. "If you have any nightmares…"

"I promise to tell you." This had become common occurrence over the past few weeks. Luna would make him promise to tell her if she had any nightmares and he would promise to tell her. "Goodnight Luna."

"Good night Harry."

Harry smiled at her and sat down on the floor. He laid back and rested his arms behind his head. It didn't take long for him to fall asleep that night. The short amount of time that he spent training with Malfoy had actually tired him out. However, sleep didn't come easy for another occupant of the room.

* * *

"Your pathetic," Draco sneered. 

Harry looked up at him from the floor with a heated glare. It was late afternoon the next day and the three tens had done nothing but train. Harry knew that training was really important for them. If they wanted to have a chance at beating the Death Eaters; then they would have to train hard. What about the Horcruxes though? He needed to find and destroy the Horcruxes if he wanted to defeat Voldemort. The problem was that he didn't want to research them in front of Draco. He wasn't willing to trust Draco at all. If word got back to Voldemort that they were looking for the Horcruxes then they would be at a serious disadvantage. So for now it had to stay between him and Luna.

Harry gripped the rapier firmly in his right hand. "I am not pathetic," Harry breathed.

"Prove it to me. Are you ready again?" He asked mockingly.

Harry got to his feet and stretched the muscles in his neck. The training had started out rather light in the morning. It was just some basic attack spells and even a few defensive ones. Near the end of the day they had decided to move onto sword training. It was something that Luna had been looking forward to. Even though she hadn't had her go yet, she still seemed excited. Harry got into a dueling stance and Draco followed suit. The Slytherin smirked at him in an evil way.

"I'm ready."

"At your ready."

Harry immediately lunged at Draco with a horizontal head level strike. Draco easily ducked under the swipe and righted himself again. He dodged another swipe from Harry and danced to the side. He brought his blade down, aiming for Harry's shoulder. Harry brought his own sword up and deflected Draco's shot. Harry struck out with a powerful but very clumsy strike. Draco easily dodged and went on the attack. He delivered a series of precision strikes to Harry's mid-section that the younger wizard was hard pressed to block. Draco thrust his rapier towards his opponent, making sure to lock his blade against Harry's. Then he brought his sword up knocking Harry off balance. In one swift move he twirled around Harry and slashed the back of his leg open. Harry cried out in pain and dropped his sword.

"Harry!" Luna ran over to his side to examine his leg. "Are you okay?"

Harry detected the small hint of worry in her voice and nodded. "Yeah…I'm fine."

"That was disgusting," Draco commented. Harry glared hatefully up at the blond.

"I'm new at this," Harry argued.

"No excuse. You just don't get it do you Potter?" He sighed and pointed his rapier at Luna. "Come on Lovegood. It's your turn. I hope you do better than Potter."

Luna helped Harry back to the bed that had become hers. She patted him on the shoulder and picked up her rapier. "You did well," she smiled.

Harry nodded dismally. "Good luck."

"En garde Lovegood," Draco sneered. "I hoped that you learn from Potter's mistakes?"

Luna didn't say anything. She merely got into a stance and nodded. For a second neither of them talked or moved. It looked to Harry like they were having some sort of silent war. Finally Draco stepped forward and siped at her leg. Luna flicked her wrist and parried Draco's strike. She attacked quickly and experimentally. Draco sidestepped and the two of them started to circle one another.

Draco nodded. He looked slightly impressed but hid it behind a mask of arrogance. "Not bad. You waited for me to attack first. Let's see how long you last!"

Draco lunged with his blade poised at her chest. Luna parried with an upward swipe and knocked his blade away. She struck out at chest level but came up with nothing but air. Draco faced her in mild surprise. If she didn't look so spaced out while she was doing this he would have sworn that she had done this before. He delivered a flurry of strikes that had Luna backing up. Harry watched in amazement as Luna managed to block every strike even though Draco had the clear advantage. Once again Luna was able to surprise Harry. Here she was, holding her own as a beginner in fencing. Not to mention that just yesterday she had turned down the chance to learn some of the most powerful curses in the world. He would have to be sure to ask her about that later.

It had been nearly ten minutes since the two of them had started and still they kept dueling. Harry noticed that the longer the practice went on the more Luna retreated. He had an idea of what she was doing and wondered if Draco had figured it out.

_'This is actually sort of interesting,' _Draco mused. He dodged one of Luna's thrusts and struck out at her again. Instead of trying to parry again, Luna jumped away from him. _'Just as I thought. I could have ended this much sooner if I wanted to. I just wanted to see her strategy. She's trying to tire me out by retreating. Juvenile but not bad.'_

Draco walked over to the other side of the room and raised his sword vertically in front of him. Both Luna and Harry looked at Draco curiously. Harry had never seen anything like what Draco was doing. He threw his sword into the ground about two feet in front of her. Just as he expected, Luna looked down at the sword. When she looked back up Draco had picked up the sword with his left hand and tucked into a forward roll. The move paid off as he had managed to come out of the roll behind Luna. He swiped out behind him with his sword but a sudden stinging in his left arm caused him to drop his sword. Harry jumped up to make sure that Luna was okay.

"Luna are you alright?"

Luna nodded. She turned her head to look behind her. "I think that Draco is hurt."

Harry looked behind him and saw that Draco was holding his left arm. He quickly rolled up his sleeve to reveal his dark mark. The normally black mark was glowing slightly and pulsating.

"I have to go," he said.

"What's going on?" Luna asked.

"It's Voldemort," Harry replied dryly. The two teen looked up at him. "He's calling him."

"I'd better go now." Draco grabbed his cloak off of the bed and made his way for the door.

"Malfoy…"

Draco stopped and looked over his shoulder. For a second the two teens stared at one another; for a brief second they reached an understanding. Draco nodded and left them standing in the room. Harry walked over to the bed and buried his face in his hands.

"Don't worry Harry. Draco won't tell them anything."

Harry was about to make a sarcastic retort until he looked into Luna's eyes. She looked so sure of her statement that when he looked in her eyes he believed it to.

It had been two hours since Draco had been gone. Harry and Luna managed to keep themselves busy by working on some of Luna's school work. Anything to keep the anxiousness at bay. What could be taking place at the meeting that would take so long? It was almost eleven when the two of them were about to give up. Both of them were exhausted and need to get some sleep. Harry was about to suggest this when the door to his room suddenly burst open. A ragged and beaten Draco stood in the doorway. He looked paler than ever. Sweat was dripping down his face and he was breathing extremely hard. Before either Harry or Luna could react Draco just collapsed onto the ground. Luna leapt up from her chair and ran over to him. Harry followed after her and stood over the nearly unconscious boy.

"What happened?" Harry asked.

"…"

Luna looked up at Harry expectantly. "Harry, what happened to him?"

Harry shook his head. "He's been under the Cruciatus…for awhile." He knelt down and reached out to check his pulse.

Draco snatched his hand, making Harry jump in surprise. "De-Death Eater…"

"What about them?" Luna asked softly.

"…Attack…tomorrow," he breathed.

Harry and Luna appeared shocked at what they heard. "Where?!" Harry asked, grabbing his shoulder a little too roughly.

Draco reached in the back pocket of his pants and pulled out a small piece of paper. He handed it to Harry and rested his head back on the ground. Harry looked at the piece of paper like it was an interesting creature.

"Harry, we have to give it to the Order member on guard."

Harry came to his senses and glared at Luna. "Dung is on guard today. He's probably not even out there!" He shouted. "I can't give it to Hedwig! She isn't fast enough!"

"What about Fawkes?" Luna suggested calmly.

Harry's eyes suddenly lit up. "Luna! You're brilliant!" He ran over to his desk and pulled out a quill and parchment. He scribbled a quick note and wrapped it around the piece of paper. "I hope this works. **Fawkes!"**

There was a burst of flame inside of the room. The flames cleared to reveal a majestic crimson phoenix. Fawkes warbled and looked at Harry expectantly. Harry pat the bird on the head and showed him the letter. "Fawkes, I need you to take this to the headquarters. It's urgent. Can you do that?!"

Fawkes sang in affirmation and disappeared in another burst of fire. Harry blinked for a second, and then turned around. Luna was sitting on the ground with Draco's head in her lap. Draco was out cold but he was still alive. Harry watched as Luna gently stroked the young man's hair. He wasn't too sure what it was. Something changed in that moment in time. Harry didn't know exactly what it was and he probably never would. He could never imagine that that one single action on Draco's part changed everything.

* * *

**End Chapter**

**Well I noticed that quite a few people have put this story on alert. I would appreciate your reviews and comments; even if they are bad. That way I can see what I need to work on. Also, a lot of people have been asking me what lucky girl Draco will get. Just wait and find out please! And please review. Peace!**


	7. Chapter 7:On the Midnight Hour

**To those of you that pointed out my Surrey/London mistake I thank you. My geography isn't that great. **

**HardcoreHobbit: Nice try when guessing the cigarettes that Harry smokes. But they are Dunhills, not Mayfairs. I agree that they are very disgusting.**

**Enough talk. Let's see how the trio is faring.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. I used to have magical powers though. Until...my therapist took them away.**

* * *

**Chapter 7:**** On the Midnight Hour**

Harry stared up at the ceiling of the dark room that he shared with his fellow witch and wizard. This was one of those nights where sleep wasn't going to come easy to him. It had been about two and a half weeks since Draco had shown back up with information of the Death Eater attack. They had planned on attacking a muggle town in Wales. Luckily the Order received the message and was able to get there on time. Arthur Weasley told him the story the day after it had happened. Through the efforts of the Order of the Phoenix they had been able to save many lives. Of course some questions arose from Arthur and some of the other members. It was always the same question. How did you know where the Death Eaters were going to attack? Harry had simply told them that he was able to see it all through his connection with Voldemort. He suspected that most of them bought it but he thought that Mad-Eye Moody had his suspicions. He couldn't afford to tell them just now. When he felt that the time was right he planned on telling Remus about Draco.

Speaking of which, things had been progressing in their relationship with the Death Eater turned spy. They were far from being friends that was for sure. Every time they were in the same room with one another the tension could easily be felt. When they trained the two of them purposefully went out of their way to injure one another. Still they hadn't been fighting that much the last couple of days. After Draco had passed on reliable information about one of the attacks Harry's attitude towards him had changed slightly. He trusted the Slytherin a bit more than he did in the past. Not to mention that Luna had suggested being a little nicer to him. Harry found that if he didn't get on Draco's case then the other boy didn't try as hard to pick a fight. It was a good thing Luna's advice worked because sometimes they were getting pretty close to killing each other. Speaking of Luna.

Harry turned his head and looked at the girl that was peacefully sleeping next to him. Last night Luna had had a pretty bad nightmare. It was enough to make the girl wake up in the middle of the night. Harry had actually been up when that happened and was there to try and comfort her. Not that he was any good at comforting a distraught girl. Though she wouldn't tell Harry what the nightmare was about he could pretty much guess. Most likely it had something to do with the death of her father. Even though he would often wake up with her sleeping next to him in the morning; this started to worry him. He couldn't blame her for not talking. No one wanted to relive their nightmares. However, he knew from personal experience that it wasn't a good idea to keep them all to yourself. So he just decided that he would let her sleep next to him, then wake up in the morning before Draco did. He didn't need Malfoy to have more ammunition against him. Speaking of Malfoy.

Harry over on his side to take a glance over at their reluctant roommate. Harry was surprised to see that Draco wasn't in his bed. He turned his head in all directions trying to discern the shape of a human in the dark. A small breeze ruffled his hair. Harry turned around and saw that the window of his room was open just a crack. It definitely wasn't like that when he went to sleep. He slid out of bad carefully so as not to wake Luna. He covered her with a blanket, he didn't want her to get a cold after all, and walked over to the window. He opened the window and stuck his head outside. Up on the roof he could hear something or someone shuffling around. With wand in hand he climbed out of the window and pulled himself onto the roof. Harry was a pro at this after doing it for so many years.

Draco watched Harry pull himself onto the roof but didn't say anything. He had never thought that anyone else would be up at this time. Especially since Harry and Luna had looked so peaceful and content to stay with one another. The reason he had come up on the roof was so that he could be alone for a while. He had gone to another DE meeting earlier in the day. Once again he had fallen victim to the dark lord's wrath and ended up on the wrong end of the Cruciatus Curse.He wasn't quite sure how long he had been tortured for but it had a definite effect on him. The nightmares he had been having were often made worse after being tortured. Not to mention that he couldn't stop his right hand from shaking. He wouldn't be very effective in training for the next couple of days.

Harry walked as best as he could across the slanted roof and sat next to Draco. For what seemed like an eternity the two of them remained silent. Finally Harry turned to Draco and asked, "What are you doing up here."

Draco had about a thousand sarcastic comebacks waiting in the wings but he was too tired to use them. "Couldn't sleep," he grumbled

Harry nodded in agreement. "I understand that."

Again there was another pregnant silence between the two of them. Harry reached in the pocket of his jeans and pulled out a pack of cigarettes. He slipped one of the cigarettes between his lips and lit it with his Zippo. He took a drag on the cigarette and exhaled a puff of grey smoke. Draco watched him in mild interest. He hadn't seen Harry smoke since he had gotten here. Who would have ever thought that Harry Potter was a smoker? He eyed the pack of cigarettes with want. Problem was he had never been good at making a request for things.

"Potter?" Harry looked at him and saw that he was gesturing towards the pack of cigarettes. The young wizard nodded and handed the pack over. Draco took one of the cigarettes and tried to light it with his wand. Unfortunately his hands were far too shaky to light the cigarette. "Damn," he cursed. He dropped his wand in his lap and shook his head.

Harry sighed. He picked up his lighter and held it so the flame was right in front of Draco's face. The Slytherin looked at Harry curiously and allowed him to light his cigarette. He took a long drag and nodded at Harry.

"Thanks," he said quietly.

Harry nodded. "…Yeah." He took another pull on his cigarette and turned back to Draco. "You shouldn't be out here. Whoever's on guard might see you."

"I cast a Disillusionment charm on myself. I took it off when I was sure they wouldn't see me."

Harry nodded He took a look at Draco's shaking hand and sighed. He decided that he would try and do that 'being nice' thing Luna talked about. "What happened?" Draco quirked a suspicious eyebrow. "I don't care or anything. Just curious." He took the cigarette between his fingers and lay back on the roof.

Draco shrugged his shoulders. "Got tortured again didn't I?"

"What happened that made him torture you?"

"Doesn't matter. When the sod is angry, anyone who gets in his way gets tortured."

"I wonder what could have made him so angry."

"Why are you awake anyways?" Draco asked quickly. "You looked pretty comfortable with Lovegood using you like a pillow."

Harry was thankful that it was dark outside so Draco couldn't see the blush in his cheeks. He took one last hit of his cigarette, and then snuffed it out on the roof. "She had a bad nightmare the other night. She didn't want to be alone."

"How about any night before this one?" Draco asked snidely. When Harry seemingly choked on nothing Draco smiled in satisfaction. "I think I should get one of the beds permanently."

"No way in hell!"

What difference would it make? Lovegood sleeps next to you no matter where you sleep. You might as well just share a bed with her."

Draco laughed again when Harry buried his hands in his head and groaned. "You guys make such a cute couple," he teased in a baby voice.

"We are not a couple!" Harry cried frantically.

"Then why are you blushing Potter?"

Harry spluttered, trying to come up with something to say. Needless to say he came up with nothing. "Like you can talk. What about you and Pansy Parkinson? Really, I thought you had better taste than that."

"Pfft! That bitch," Draco scoffed. He snuffed his cigarette out and ran a hand through his hair. "My parents were forcing her on me."

"Trying to keep the family pure-blood?"

"That and in the money. Pansy's family is filthy rich."

"That sounds wrong to me. What about love?"

"…I don't believe in love Potter. And arranged marriages aren't that uncommon in the wizarding world."

Harry nodded in understanding. Compared to Draco he was still rather new to the wizarding world so he would have to take his word on it. Then something came to him. He and Draco had been talking with each other for the past fifteen minutes. Not only that neither of them insulted the other. Harry turned to Draco and quirked an eyebrow.

"Do you realize we've been talking for the past fifteen minutes and we haven't tried to kill each other?"

Draco pulled a disgusted look on his face. "Your right."

"This doesn't make us friends does it?"

"Not on your bloody life Potter. We don't tell Lovegood about this either."

Harry nodded in agreement. "Fine. But you know you really should be nicer to her. She gets worried when you come back like this."

"Why?" Draco asked. He shook his head in exasperation. "No matter how mean people are to her, she just ignores them. She's still nice to them." Draco said that like it was a completely bad thing.

"That's Luna. It's how she is."

"It's weird."

"I've come to learn a lot about Luna. She's one of a kind, but she isn't weird."

Draco shook his head. "As long as we don't tell her about this." He stood up as best as he could and climbed up towards the apex of the roof.

"You never did answer my other question." Harry turned his head over his shoulder to look at Draco.

Draco stopped, but didn't turn around to look at Harry. "…We'll just say that I didn't do my job." For a second the two wizards stood on the roof, silhouetted against the moonlight. "See you in the morning Potter."

Harry nodded in affirmation. He didn't want to go back inside just yet. For now he was content just to lie back on the roof and watch the stars.

* * *

Draco flourished his wand and a purple zigzag slash appeared on the target in front of them. The target was none other than a toy soldier they had transfigured in order to make it larger. What appeared to be purple flames burned on the chest for a brief second before disappearing. Draco turned around and motioned for the others to take a shot at it. 

"Have either of you seen this curse before?" Draco asked them.

Harry nodded. "A Death Eater used it on Hermione when we went to the ministry."

"Antonin Dolohov," Draco confirmed. "He created the curse himself. For now we just want to focus on the silent version of the curse. Lovegood, get up here and use the exact same wand movements that I did."

Luna stepped up and waved her wand self consciously in front of herself. She looked over her shoulder and saw Harry smiling encouragingly back at her. Luna turned around and closed her eyes in concentration. She waved her wand, and then made a diagonal slashing movement. A small flash of purple appeared at the tip of her wand and then disappeared just as quickly. She scratched her arm and hung her head in slight disappointment.

"I guess these kinds of spells aren't my cup of tea," she said in her dreamy voice.

Harry tried to comfort her but Draco stepped in front of her. "You just need to refine some of your wand movements."

Harry watched in slight awe as Draco stepped forward and gently guided her arm through the motions. He did it once or twice and then asked Luna to do it on her own. Luna did as she was told and turned to look back at Draco for confirmation.

"Not bad. Now try it again." Draco took a step back to give her some more room to perform the spell. "Just relax and try your best."

Luna gave him a small smile and turned around. She took a deep breath and gave her wand a wave. A purple zigzag flame formed on the chest of the soldier. Luna smiled brightly with her accomplishment. "How was that?" She asked turning around.

Harry offered her a brilliant smile. "That was brilliant Luna!"

"You need more work," Draco admonished. Then his facial expression softened ever so slightly. "But it wasn't too bad."

Luna smiled slightly and so did Harry. Apparently the talk they had last night did have some kind of effect on Draco. The rest of the day was spent training in various other spells such as: stunners, body binding curses, shield charms and of course disarming. So when the day was out it was no surprise that the three teens were completely wiped. However, Luna couldn't seem to get to sleep that night. So instead she decided to sit down on the couch in the living room. Normally she wouldn't venture outside of the room because she didn't want to have to fight with Harry's relatives. Luckily they were all asleep so she was able to have the room to herself.

If only it weren't for her nightmares, then she would be able to get some decent sleep. The only time that she was ever able to get some decent sleep was when she slept beside Harry. Since she woke him up the other night and he spent a long time talking to Draco last night, she didn't think it would be fair to wake him again tonight. He needed sleep a lot more than she did. Luna couldn't imagine the stress that her friend was under. He had to undergo training in order to get stronger, had to search for Horcruxes and finally he would have to defeat the most powerful wizard in history. She just wished that there was something that she could do to take all of the pressure off of Harry. Until then she would have to try and make things as easy as possible for the young man.

"What are you still doing up?"

Luna turned around and looked over the back of couch. Draco was standing in the entrance of the living room; the sleep could be clearly seen in his silver eyes. He was dressed simply in a pair of black pants and a black t-shirt. He walked over to the armchair near the couch and took a seat.

"I had a nightmare," Luna answered instantly.

"Why didn't you just wake up Potter and sleep next to him?" Draco asked. He was having a lot of fun teasing the two of them. He had been dropping subtle hints all day to embarrass them.

Luna felt her cheeks flare slightly. "I didn't want to wake Harry. He needs the sleep more than I do."

"Even so he probably wouldn't have minded," Draco yawned. He leaned back against the chair and stretched his legs out. "Just to be curious, what is the deal between the two of you?"

Luna cocked her head curiously. "What do you mean?"

"Never mind."

"Anyways I wish to thank you Draco."

"Thank me for what?"

"For being so understanding and helping me to learn that curse today."

"It wasn't a big deal. I just don't want to work with weaklings." There was a moment of silence. When Draco realized that she wasn't going to say anything he decided to. "I bet it was kind of a surprise though."

"Not really," Luna replied.

"Care to explain why?"

"Because you said that you don't like working with weaklings before. So I knew you would train me to. Despite the fact that you hate me."

Draco's eyes shot wide open. He didn't know how someone could be so blunt. "Hate you."

Luna turned to him and nodded. "Yes. I am a blood traitor. Harry Potter is a half-blood and I am his friend. Yes you hate me. But that is okay." She shifted slightly on the couch and returned her gaze to the street outside.

Draco shifted uncomfortably in his chair. No one had ever spoken to him so plainly before. Now it seemed like her attention wasn't even on him anymore. He leaned over and looked out of the window to try and see what had caught her attention. There was nothing outside. The glow of the street lamps reflected off the pavement that was wet from the freshly fallen rain. Draco sighed and leaned back against the chair once again. He had certainly come to find himself in the company of a very strange character indeed. Even though the past he had stayed in very close proximity with the Ravenclaw for the past couple of weeks he doubted he would ever get used to her oddities. Giving up on any further attempt at a conversation he closed his eyes again.

"I guess you hate me too then?"

"Why would you say that?"

"I'm a pure-blood and a Death Eater. Aren't we your enemies?" He asked mockingly.

"I have no enemies," she answered. She turned back to Draco with her usual dreamy look. "My only enemies are those who try to hurt the ones I love."

Despite her far out look Draco sensed an edge to her voice. He shrugged and said, "You are a blood traitor," in a matter of fact way. "I guess that I do hate you."

Luna smiled and stood up from the couch. "That is fine. I believe that there is more to you than you show."

"What you see is what you get."

Luna walked over and placed her hand on his shoulder. "Someday we will see the real you."

Draco watched the younger girl skip past him like their whole conversation had never even taken place. He shook his head. Somehow she always managed to get in the last words. What made everything worse was that she was often very truthful and blunt. Almost painfully so in some cases.

* * *

In another place in Britain (A.N: Can't remember what part.) a young girl was having her own problems trying to sleep. The young girl in question was about average height for a girl of seventeen. She was very lean with extremely bushy brown hair. Her brown hair roamed around the dark and dusty halls of number twelve Grimmauld Place. Sleep wasn't coming easily that night for one Hermione Granger. A draft in the old house made her shiver slightly. She pulled her dark red robe tighter around her petite body. Normally sleep came very easily for the young witch. If she couldn't get to sleep all she had to do was study from some of her schoolbooks. Tonight however things seemed a little different. Two things were keeping her awake right now. Her two best friends Harry Potter and Ronald Weasley. 

Harry had sent her so many letters over the summer but she hadn't sent a single one back to him. Now it was causing her unimaginable guilt. Normally if she got a letter from Harry she would right a reply within mere seconds. Unfortunately the other young man in her life was the reason for her distraction from the letters. Her feelings for Ron had been growing over the past few years. At first he was just an annoying boy in her class. Then the two of them became good friends and that was as far as she thought it would go. During her fifth year she started to develop feelings for him that were beyond friendship. By the time their sixth year came around she was sure of her feelings for Ron. And she thought just maybe he had feelings for her as well. The something happened that made her doubt everything. That something was Ron and Lavender Brown.

Now Hermione may not have known that much about boys but she was certainly no idiot. Ron had gotten together with Lavender purely out of spite. At the time she thought that maybe he had done it to make her jealous. Now she knew better. There was no way that Ron could have known about her feelings at the time. He hadn't gotten together with Lavender to make her jealous. He had done it to make her angry. Since coming to this realization she had been second guessing her feelings. This combined with her guilt over not sending Harry a letter and kept her awake. Hermione shook her head in disgust of herself. She had come to Grimmauld Place to be with the Weasleys and the rest of the order while her parents were at a conference. Meanwhile Harry had to spend the summer all by himself. How could she have been so selfish? She was about to turn around and go back into the room she shared with Ginny when a voice interrupted her thoughts.

"A knut for your thoughts?" Asked a deep but soothing voice.

Hermione started and turned around with her hand over her chest. "Professor Lupin," she breathed. "You startled me."

Remus smiled back at the young brunette. "Sorry Hermione. I did not mean to startle you."

"That's alright. What are you doing up at this hour?" She took another calming breath and brushed a strand of hair out of her face.

"The nightlife is the night for me, remember."

Hermione chuckled. "I suppose that's true." She suddenly seemed very upset again.

Remus noticed this and offered her his hand. "I was about to make some tea. Would you like to join me?"

Remus poured a cup of tea for Hermione and then himself. The two of them were sitting in the lounge that had been created out of one of the old rooms of the house. It was the room where the tapestry of the Black Family Tree used to hang. The tapestry had been removed and then replaced with a Gryffindor tapestry. The entire theme of the room was set in burgundy and gold. Remus watched Hermione fix her tea the way she liked it and waited for him to say something. After a few minutes of silence Remus figured that she wasn't going to say anything. He took a sip from his tea and set the cup down on the table between them.

"Hermione, what's bothering you?"

Hermione looked up at the lycan with an innocent smile. "I don't know what you mean." She took a sip of her tea and looked anywhere but the man across from her.

"Please don't insult my intelligence Hermione," Remus said with a smile. "I have known you for far too long for you to play stupid. It really doesn't suit you."

"…Sorry," Hermione apologized.

Remus shook his head. "Think nothing of it. Why don't you tell what is going on. I may be able to help you."

"It's just that…I feel a little guilty professor. Harry has sent me a lot of letters and I haven't responded to him at all," she said guiltily.

Remus nodded. "Yes. Harry did mention that to me when I saw him."

"And…and did he seem angry."

"Well he wasn't very happy." Hermione blanched, she knew what Harry was like when he was angry. "So why haven't you been writing him back."

Hermione scratched the back of her head abashedly. "I know this may sound selfish but I haven't really had the time. You see I have this problem on mind and it's about all I think about lately. It sort of involves Ron." Remus nodded for her to continue. "You see the last couple of years I've found my feelings for him…"

"Changing?" Remus asked.

Hermione nodded, "Yes. But last year he started dating Lavender Brown," she stated sourly. Her eyes clouded over and her attitude became very sullen. "I think that he did it just to make me angry."

"Do you really think that Ron would do that to you?"

"Ronald is such an immature prat sometimes. He loses his temper over the smallest things and he gets jealous of Harry for absolutely no reason. Sometimes I wonder why I even bother with him." Remus remained silent and calmly listened to her rant. "But at other times he can be really sweet. I…I just don't know what to do."

Remus sipped his tea, trying to think of a response. "Hermione, do you really like Ron?"

"I'm not so sure anymore. Oh what should I do Professor Lupin?!" She whined.

Lupin smiled. He remembered what it was like being a teen so he was going to try and help her. "I can't tell you what to do. The only one that can do that is you. I can only say that you better be sure. Trust your heart. Your heart will let you know what's right before you do it."

Hermione smiled. She walked around the table and hugged Remus around his neck. "That was beautiful professor. Thank you."

"You're welcome Hermione," he said. He hugged her back. "I'm always glad to help. And please call me Remus."

Hermione pulled back from him and smiled. "I will." She straightened up and smoothed out her robe.

"Now as for your problem with Harry; I think you should get some sleep tonight. Maybe in a couple of weeks you can go and give him a visit." He winked at her in a way that suggested that he knew something.

"Thank you again prof…I mean Remus!" She hugged him again and smiled brightly.

"Sure. Now get to bed." He ruffled her hair and shooed her out of the room. Remus watched her go with a sigh. Sometimes Hermione and Harry acted so grown up that he forgot they were still just teenagers. Either way, he could now get back to the original reason for his unrest.

In another room of the house, the kitchen to be exact, another member of the order was wide awake. Bill sat hunched over at the table. His head was resting flat on the surface of the table. He had been upstairs in the room that he shared with Fleur and found it impossible to sleep. Not wanting to wake his future wife he slipped out of bed and came down to the kitchen for a drink. He poured himself another glass of Ogden's Fire Whiskey and downed the shot. Bill wasn't a big drinker; he only drank every now and then when his nerves were on end. Tonight, they were worse than they had ever been.

"You shouldn't drink your thoughts away."

"And you have a better idea?" He asked. He turned around to look at Tonks and smiled challengingly at her.

"As a matter of fact I do." She walked past him and over to the fridge. After digging around for a second she held up a pie with a triumphant smirk on her face. "Pie." She grabbed two forks from the drawer and walked back over to the table. "I love it when your mum visits. There's always pie," she said offering him a fork.

Bill chuckled. The girl always did have a thing for pie. His eyes shifted up to her hair, bright green in color. Her eyes were dark purple. Bill sighed in disappointment. In all the years he had known Tonks he had never gotten to see her real face. He scooped up a piece of the pie with his fork and stuffed it in his mouth. He loved cherry.

"You want to talk about what's been bothering you mate?" Tonks asked.

Bill looked up at her and shook his head. "No. It's my problem. Not yours." His response had come out a little colder than he had meant it to.

"Oh," Tonks said dejectedly. She continued to eat the pie slowly. It had been an eternity since she and Bill had the chance to talk like this. Now it seemed like he didn't want her to be there at all. What had she done to offend him? Maybe if she could help him with his problem she could get him to talk to her again. "Is it about the wedding?"

Bill groaned in annoyance. "Just drop it Tonks," he said firmly.

"Because you know if you love her it should be easy for you to be with her."

"Then why aren't you with Remus?!" Bill shot back.

As soon as the words left his mouth, he wished that he could take them back. Tonks' eyes teared up and she turned her head away from him. Bill saw her wipe his eyes with the back of her pajama sleeve. He couldn't believe that he had said something that was so callous. After all it wasn't that long ago that Remus broke things off with her. He and Tonks had been friends for years and they hardly ever fought. They must have grown further apart than he thought. Bill reached over and gently grasped her hand in his. He asked her to look at him. Tonks dried her eyes and turned to face him.

"Tonks, I was really out of line. I shouldn't have said that. Please forgive me?"

Tonks sniffed but nodded. "It's alright. I guess that I kind of deserved this. I was just a silly little girl with a school crush. I should have known that it wouldn't happen," she said sadly.

Bill smiled sympathetically and pulled her into a hug. "So Remus isn't the smartest guy in the world after all," he mused.

"Huh?" Tonks peered up into his deep brown eyes.

Bill leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms behind his head. "Well, he would have had to be a fool to let a great girl like you go."

Tonks blushed slightly and shook her head. "Bill Weasley, you were always too charming for your own good. I…missed that."

"I guess that we haven't been able to hang out as much since we graduated school," he sighed. "That seems like ages ago."

"No time like the present," she replied. Bill watched her eat another piece of pie and nodded.

The two teens talked for hours. They reminisced about the days that they spent together in school. (A.N: I assume that Bill and Tonks are about a year apart in age. Bill being the older of the two.) Bill told her stories about some of his adventures in Egypt working as a curse breaker for Gringotts. She particularly like the story about having to deal with the sphinx that tried to kidnap one of his goblin associates. Tonks in turn amused him with some of her storie about the torture she inflicted on Kingsley during her training. The two old friends talked until the early hours of the morning. Only when the sun was just coming up and the pie was completely eaten d id they feel tired. Tonks stood up and stretched with a yawn.

"I think that we should get some sleep," she suggested.

Bill checked his watch and nodded. "Thanks for staying up with me Tonks. It was fun," he said earnestly.

"My pleasure." She smiled at him and started to walk towards the door. Just as she was passing by him, she tripped on her own two feet. Instead of hitting the hard ground like she normally did, she felt something wrap around her waist. When she looked up she saw Bill looking back down at her.

Bill smiled and stood up. He pulled Tonks with him and mad sure that she was on firm footing before releasing his arm from her waist. "Still the same old Tonks. I'm glad some things never change." He gave her one last charming smile and walked out of the kitchen.

Tonks stared after the redhead. She felt her face heat up and there was a small fluttering sensation in her stomach. She couldn't help but wonder what that was all about. Of course if she hadn't been so tired, she may have realized just exactly what it had meant.

* * *

"What do you two think about the Nargle infestation in Ireland?" 

Harry and Draco looked at Luna with looks of utter bewilderment on their faces. After another hard day of training the three teens were sitting in their room on the floor. Hedwig was out on her midnight flight so it was just the teens. The only source of light in the room was a candle in the middle of the floor. Luna had started a weird game that was supposed to help them to get to know one another better. It sort of reminded Harry of the muggle game, 20 Questions. One person would ask a question and then they all had to give their opinion on the subject. So far they had only received on smartass comment from Malfoy. In fact the two boys managed to be civil to each other for one full day. A record if there was any. Now they still had to answer the question that was laid before them.

"No comment," Draco replied.

Harry laughed. Draco had done that on more than one of Luna's question. "I think that the ministry should try and find a humane way to remove some of them."

Luna smiled happily at him. Even though she wasn't a big fan of the Nargles she didn't want to hurt them either. Draco shook his head. They were two of a kind. "My turn," Luna said. "What do you think of school?"

Draco shrugged his shoulders. "I guess that I never really thought about it."

"It's home for me," Harry answered. "When I go back there, it just feels right." He suddenly thought about his quest for the Horcruxes and became very quiet. Suddenly he couldn't help but think about going to school.

"Lonely." Harry shook his head and looked over at Luna curiously. "School is lonely. Even though I am surrounded by my housemates I still feel lonely. It is a terrible feeling, loneliness."

Harry and Draco looked down, suddenly finding the floor interesting. Once again her blunt honesty made them feel uncomfortable. Though they did know exactly what she was talking about. Both boys had felt the loneliness that she spoke of at school.

"I know," Harry said softly. The other two looked at him, waiting for him to continue. "Having all of the people surround you. Not because they talk to you but because of who you are. All of your 'friends' looking at you as though your just some nutter." His hand clenched and he shook in anger. "I know exactly what that feels like."

"Being popular but not actually existing." Harry's eyes went wide and his head shot up to look at Malfoy. Was he actually talking about feelings? "When the only reason that you have friends is because they fear you. Then there are the ones that hang on just because you're popular. They don't really know who you are…just a name," he whispered.

"Draco?" Harry asked. Not realizing that this was the first time he ever called him by his given name.

Draco looked up at Harry. Luna tried to reach over and place her hand on his but Draco yanked it away. "It's getting late," he said. "We should get some sleep if we're going to Diagon Alley tomorrow."

Luna tried to say something but Harry placed a hand on her shoulder to stop her. When she turned around to look at him, he simply shook his head. She reluctantly agreed and walked over to the bed that she now shared with Harry on an almost regular basis. Harry took one last look at Draco before he blew out the candle and turned around. As soon as Harry turned around to get into bed he heard a loud crack. Like there was someone apparating into his room. The sound of the crack alerted all three of them to a new presence. Harry and Luna turned around just in time to see Draco become disarmed. The figure knocked Draco to the ground with a hard kick. A second later another figure apparated next to Draco and held him down.

Harry and Luna grabbed their wands and aimed as best as they could. "Stupefy!" They cried together. Two bolts of red energy shot out of their wands, sending the Draco's attackers crashing into the nearby wall. The door to Harry's room burst open and two shout of 'Expelliarmus' filled the room. Harry and Luna were disarmed by the second group of intruders but there was something wrong with the whole scene. Two of the voices sounded familiar.

"Wait a second!" Harry cried desperately. "Remus! Professor Moody!"

Two small lights filled the room revealing the faces of Remus Lupin and the scarred face of Alastor Moody. "Harry?!" Remus asked in shock.

**End Chapter**

* * *

**Obviously the reason for the title of this chapter is that all the talks took place at night. What will happen now that the order has arrived? Well you'll just have to wait and find out. Review and let me know what you thought. I'll try and update soon. Until then, peace!**


	8. Chapter 8:Judgements, Wills, Horcruxes

**Okay. ****First I want to thank all of my readers and reviewers for sticking with me. ****I'm not going to waste any time this time. It's too early in the morning for that. So here we go.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.**

* * *

**Chapter 8:****Judgements****, Wills, and Horcruxes**

Fred Weasley yawned tiredly as he used a spell to lock the door to the shop he ran with his brother: Weasley Wizarding Wheezes. His brother George changed the sign in the window so that it read 'CLOSED.' Despite closing the shop earlier than normal the young entrepreneurs were completely wiped out from the day. Lately business had been booming for the twins. With the shadow of war looming over head, many people were looking for a way to keep their minds off of it. And the practical jokes of the Weasley twins seemed to be the most popular way of doing so. Fred and George were very proud of their business. That and the fact that they were able to prove their mother wrong. Still there was another matter of business they needed to attend to. One that was even more important than their joke shop.

"What do you make of this Fred?" George asked. He pulled the curtains closed and walked over to lock the side door that led to an alley.

Fred glanced up at his brother from the till. "Beats me George. I guess that we just have to trust that Harry knows what he's doing."

The two of them glanced up at the clock on the wall. "Let's get back there," they said in unison.

The twins walked to the back of the room and opened the door that led to the back of the shop. George opened the door and motioned for Fred to go through. He followed his brother into the room and shut the door behind him. He used a spell to lock the door and followed up with a privacy charm as well. The two Weasleys navigated their way around the storeroom until they came to a wide open area of the room. A circular area of the room was cleared of crates to make room. In the middle of the room Harry, Luna and Draco waited nervously for them to begin. Around them were several older wizards that belonged to the Order of the Phoenix. Fred and George joined their fellow order members in the circle and waited for the others to start.

Harry looked around the circle of wizards with a frown on his face. Luna and Draco stood next to him and looked around nervously. Draco covered his nervousness up by glaring at the older wizards. Luna on the other hand looked absolutely oblivious to her surroundings. Harry glanced around at all of the faces staring down at. The stern faces of Kingsley Shacklebolt, Minerva McGonagall, Bill Weasley, Nymphadora Tonks, Remus Lupin, and Alastor Moody stared at them from around the circle. None of them looked too happy about having to be here. The twins glared at Draco in a menacing way, they weren't too happy to see him. Harry suddenly felt as though he was on trial again just like the summer before fifth year. After several minutes there were still no words being passed between the two sides.

"Who wants some refreshments?" George asked.

"Maybe some pumpkin juice or some-"

"Fred. George," Bill interrupted.

"Yes?" They asked in unison.

"Shut. Up."

"If you children are done, I think we should get on with this," Moody growled. "We have more important things to discuss."

"For example: Why are Harry and Luna associating with a known Death Eater?" Kingsley asked.

Tonks nodded. "I would also like to know why you two stunned me and Bill," she requested with a glare.

"Mr. Potter, you and Ms. Lovegood should know the seriousness of this situation," Professor McGonagall scolded.

"Professor," Luna interjected politely, "perhaps if we had a chance to explain."

"We were kind of hoping that you would," Remus said.

Luna gave Harry a sharp poke in the ribs; he looked at her and shook his head. "What?!"

"I think that she wants you to explain you stupid git," Draco hissed.

Harry turned and glared at Draco. "You know I am the only thing keeping you out of Azkaban right now!"

"You aren't keeping me out of anything! All I would have to do is apparate!"

"I wish that I could apparate."

The two boys stopped arguing and glanced over at Luna. Half of the eyes in the room had turned to the Ravenclaw. "We'll teach later," Harry replied. Then he turned back and continued to argue with Draco."

"We'll?" Professor McGonagall asked.

The two boys sighed at having been interrupted. "Yes," Harry answered. "Draco has been helping me and Luna train for some time now."

"Wait a second," Kingsley shook his head, "I think that we should start from the beginning here."

Moody nodded. "Come on Potter spit it out!" He growled. His magical eye swiveled around in his head, finally focusing on Draco.

"It's a long story," Draco replied.

"We have plenty of time," Bill informed him.

So Harry went into the explanation of how Draco came to stay with them. He told them everything from the dementors attack, to their agreement, and some of their training. He of course left out the part about the pensieve and Draco teaching them the Unforgivable curses. In the parts that he forgot to mention Luna managed to fill in. Though she did go off the topic quite a few times. When they were done with their story the members of the order were left confounded. The one thing they couldn't wrap their minds around was why. Why would a known Death Eater help out the sworn enemy of Voldemort? They had some questions about Draco's defiance of the dark lord.

"Why would someone like you, the son of one of You-Know-Who's top Death Eaters, betray the dark lord?" Moody asked.

"I have my reasons for doing what I am doing," Draco answered.

"We understand that Mr. Malfoy," McGonagall said sternly. "We want to know what those reasons are."

"Potter and Lovegood know my reasons. Other than that my reasons are my own." Draco answered, holding his arms behind his back.

"We need to know if we can trust you," Tonks said.

"He saved the lives of many muggles." Everyone turned to look at Luna who was busy studying one of the Weasley's new fireworks. Fred jumped and took the firework from her; it was still under development.

"Are you saying that Draco was the one who gave us information on the Death Eater attacks?" Remus asked in surprise.

"He risked his life to get the information. He was tortured by V-Voldemort. It was terrible."

Harry glanced around at each member of the order in turn. He couldn't tell what they were more shocked about. The fact that Draco was now on their side or that Luna said Voldemort's name. They sent the teens to another part of the room to discuss everything that they had just heard. During this time Harry, Draco and Luna didn't say a word. There was a lot at stake and though none of them would admit it they were a little nervous about the outcome. When the others were finished discussing the problem they called the teens back over. Remus, having been elected by the group to speak, stepped forward.

"I must say that Draco's betrayal of the dark lord has all of us a little suspicious," Remus began. He took a deep breath before deciding to continue. "However, we were wondering if you would like to officially turn spy for the Order of the Phoenix?"

Harry and Draco looked at one another in shock. They turned their disbelieving looks back to the members of the order. This was an incredible offer that would only come to Draco once. The Slytherin turned to look at his two companions. He turned back around to look at the others and shook his head.

"I don't think so," Draco replied. Everyone's eyes widened as Draco turned to leave the room. Harry and Luna followed after him trying to get him to reconsider.

"Are you sure you want to turn us down Malfoy?" Fred asked.

George nodded in agreement. "There is something you could get out of this."

Draco stopped at one of the doors and turned around. "My deal is with Potter and Lovegood. That's all I need to achieve my goals."

Harry stopped in front of Draco and placed a hand on his shoulder to stop him. "Draco we are starting to trust you."

"I do trust you," Luna replied.

"Fine, I'm starting to trust you. But they never will if you don't listen to them."

Draco smacked his hand away. "I never asked for them to trust me. I don't need them."

"That's too bad Mr. Malfoy," Kingsley replied. "As you know I am the Head Auror in the Ministry of Magic."

"What good does that do me?" Draco turned around again to leave.

"I can pull strings to get you partial amnesty."

Draco's hand froze on the knob of the door. The offer intrigued him. "What kind of amnesty?" He turned around and narrowed his eyes at them.

"I can get enough of the charges waved so that you can gain access to your Gringotts accounts. The charge of attempted murder will be stricken from your record. And I can keep the rest of auror squad off of your trail."

McGonagall stepped forward and stared at Draco with her thin lipped expression "As you may or may not know I am the new headmistress of Hogwarts. I am willing to overlook the events of last year and allow you to come back to school."

"You should take the offer," Harry suggested.

"You shouldn't be ashamed to accept help from others Draco," Luna said.

"…What would I have to do?" Draco asked.

"Exactly what you've been doing," Bill answered.

"What are you going to do?" Harry asked.

Draco turned around to look at the order. Several times in the past few weeks he had to swallow pride in order to work with Harry. Now it looked like he would have to swallow it just once more. "Fine," he said blankly.

"What do we have to do in order to keep Draco out of Azkaban?" Luna asked.

Moody laughed and clapped Harry on the back. "I like this one Potter. She's sharp."

"You're telling me," Harry laughed.

"There is no catch, "Remus replied. "Draco is free to go. But we will be watching to make sure that he doesn't try anything funny." He turned to Draco and offered him his hand. "It will be interesting to work with you Draco."

Draco sniffed and shook his hand. "Yeah, I'm sure," he said sarcastically.

"Hm. Harry we need to talk. It's about you know what."

Harry nodded in affirmation. "Excuse us guys." Harry followed Remus out of the storage room.

"Hello Luna, how is it going?" Fred asked.

Luna turned away from where Harry had been to address Fred. "Hello Fredrick," she greeted.

George snickered and shook his head. "For the last time my name is Fred. Just Fred."

"Alright then Just Fred."

George burst out laughing now and even Draco gave them a small smile. He turned to Fred and replied, "You walked into that one."

"Ms. Lovegood," McGonagall said, "May I speak with you for a moment?" She asked politely.

"Of course Professor."

Just as McGonagall led Luna away from the boys, Fred and George turned to Draco. "You better watch your step Malfoy," George warned menacingly.

Fred nodded. "Because you see Harry is like a brother to us. And if you-"

"-betray his trust-"

"-we'll crush you," they finished together.

During the last part of the conversation Draco's head had been switching between the two like he was watching a tennis match. He knew some of things that the twins were capable of and that worried him a little. Still he knew enough powerful spells to deal with them if need be.

He smirked haughtily at them and waved an airy hand. "Relax. I have nothing against the two of you."

George and Fred looked at one another with confused looks. That was one response they hadn't been expecting. "What?" They asked.

"Yeah," Draco shrugged. "One of your brothers is a completely pompous git. The other one is a completely stupid ponce. And your little sister is just a loud mouth brat," Draco finished. He never did know when it was best to keep his mouth shut.

The twins glanced at one another and hung their heads. "We know," George replied.

"They really do bring us down sometimes," Fred admitted. He walked back towards Moody and was closely followed by George.

Draco just watched them go and shook his head. "Not bad." He turned around and saw Bill standing right in front of him. "I've never seen anyone get rid of them so easily."

Draco looked him up and down. He was wearing a pair of black jeans with a rip in the knee. His shirt was sleeveless black spandex. He was dressed much differently than the others but he had to be one of them. "You're a Weasley then?"

Bill nodded. "Names Bill. I work as a curse breaker for Gringotts."

Draco's eyes widened slightly. _'A curse breaker? He has to __have some decent power in him for that.' _"You seem to be different from your brothers. You don't hold the same grudge against me."

"I don't know you," Bill answered simply. "But I am impressed with what I've heard. Sure I don't appreciate you torturing my family, but the way you got those Death Eaters into the school last year was ingenious."

Draco's eyes shifted up to Bill's scarred face and his eyes widened slightly. "You…"

"What?"

"You were the one that was attacked by Greyback," he said softly.

"What did you wish to speak to me about professor?" Luna asked politely.

McGonagall looked around the back office that the Weasley's often used for their paperwork. Pieces of parchment were strewn all over the office as well as several parts that she assumed were to their inventions. She muttered something about a bloody mess then took a seat behind the desk.

"Please take a seat Ms. Lovegood." Luna did as she was told and took a seat in the chair next to the stern professor. "I was very sorry to hear about your father," she said softly. Luna's eyes dimmed but she nodded all the same. "He was a good man."

"Yes he was," Luna agreed. "The Quibbler is writing a special edition in his honor. It should be out in August."

Professor McGonagall smiled slightly. She knew how much the magazine meant to the young girl. "I was just wondering how you are doing?"

"I have been much better the last few weeks."

"Good. I know that Mr. Potter can be rather intense sometime. Now I am supposed to assume that Mr. Malfoy is staying at Privet Drive as well?" Luna nodded. She wasn't quite sure what Professor McGonagall was getting at. "I was thinking that if things were too rough for you, you could come back to the school early."

Luna's head shot up to look at McGonagall. Was she trying to take her away from Privet Drive? If that happened then she would have to leave Harry! She didn't want to leave Harry's side. If she had to be honest with herself she would say that she had come to rely on him. The two of them had formed an attachment over the past few weeks; one might even say a bond. What that bond was she had no clue. However, she had a very strong feeling that said bond should not be broken. Harry needed her just as much as she needed him. Now she also had Draco to think about. Both of the young men needed her in different ways. The point was that she was needed and she finally had someone that she felt she could trust beside her father. Both were nice.

"I'm sorry professor. I appreciate the offer but I can't leave Harry. Nor can I leave Draco. It has been wondrous staying with the both of them." McGonagall smiled at the young girl. She was talking about the two boys as if they were her friends. She had never done that before. "I cannot leave them when they need me."

"You speak very fondly of them. Even Mr. Malfoy."

"Draco is a very kind person."

"So what did you find out Remus?"

"Whoa, slow down there," Remus laughed. The two of them were back in the front of the shop where they could talk in private. The lycan jumped up on the counter and smirked at Harry's eagerness. "No hello. No asking me how I am?"

Harry glared at the former Marauder. "To be fair you are the ones that kidnapped us in the middle of the night."

"Okay. Okay," he said. He held his arms up as a gesture of peace. "About Cedric Diggory. I've researched everything I can on spirits Harry. No, it's not normal to see spirits like that. Only mediums trained in spirit detection can see spirits and interact with them on a physical level." Harry sighed and shook his head. "And as far as I know there is still know way to bring someone back from the dead."

"Damnit," Harry growled. "I must really be going crackers. Does that mean that what I saw was just some kind of illusion? I remember Snape saying something about Voldemort during one of our Occlumency lessons. He said that Voldemort had the ability to put images in people's heads. Could he have put the image of Cedric in my head?"

"Did you feel something when it happened? Did your scar act up?" Lupin asked curiously.

"No. There was definitely no pain."

Remus shook his head. "Then it is very unlikely that it was Voldemort." He stood up from the counter and walked over to the window. He pulled the curtain aside so that he could look outside. "We can't rule out the possibility that Cedric is still alive."

"Then shouldn't I be trying to find him?!" Harry cried. "I need to know what he meant by his warning!"

"There are more important things!" Remus turned on his heel to face Harry. "Voldemort and the Death Eaters have become bolder in their attacks. They attacked two ministry officials in broad daylight and killed the aurors with them. If Kingsley's son, Wesley, hadn't been there they would have gotten away!"

Harry had never known that Kingsley had a son, but that wasn't important right now. "So you're saying I shouldn't even worry about Cedric's warning?"

"Exactly," Remus sighed. "Harry, I fear for your safety. Promise me that you will be careful." At first Harry didn't respond. "Promise me!" Remus said more forcefully.

"Fine," Harry agreed. "But I want to be kept informed."

Remus laughed heartily. "I thought you would say that. We can keep you informed Harry." Harry nodded and turned to go back to the storeroom. "Harry? Can you trust Draco?"

"…Yes."

"Then you may have figured out part of the riddle already. Keep Draco and Luna by your side, something tells me you may need them more than anything else."

Harry peered back at Remus over his shoulder and nodded. Everything that happened tonight was too much for the young man to think about at the moment. All he wanted to do was go back home and get some sleep.

* * *

The trio had slept all through the day. When the next morning came around they were awakened by a sharp tapping on the window. Harry looked up from his pillow towards the window. When he couldn't see anything he realized that he didn't have his glasses on. He reached over on the bedside table and picked up his glasses. He slid the glasses on and blinked to clear up his vision. Two owls were on the windowsill. It looked like each of them was jostling for position as each one flapped its wings at the other. Harry groaned and slid his body out of bed. He heard a noise and saw Draco pulling himself out of bed as well. He noticed that Draco looked about as happy as he did about being woken up. 

"I'm gonna drown that bloody pigeon," Draco muttered.

Harry chuckled. "I think I might help you." He looked back over his shoulder at the still sleeping Luna. "Of course she isn't affected at all."

"Probably dreaming about Nargles or Snorcacks."

Harry smiled and walked over to the window. He threw the latch and opened up the windows. He was thankful that Hedwig was still asleep or she would be hooting angrily at the newcomers. Harry accepted the letters from the owls and they took off in a flurry of feathers. After closing and locking the windows again, he turned around to look at the letters. One had the Hogwarts seal on it and the other one appeared to be from Gringotts. Both letters were addressed to Draco.

"Malfoy, these are addressed to you." He held the letters out to the other wizard.

Draco dropped the clothes that he was gathering for his shower onto the bed and took the letters from Harry. "Probably the welcoming letter from school." He broke the seal on the other envelope and began to read the letter inside.

Harry walked back over to his bed and sat down, careful not to wake Luna. Sharing a bed with her no longer seemed to bother the Gryffindor. "McGonagall works pretty fast," he yawned.

"So does that Kingsley guy." He handed Harry his other letter and went over to sit on his bed.

Harry scanned the letter with his eyes and felt a cold chill run down his spine. He looked over the letter at Draco. The blonds' eyes clouded over and held a hint of anger in them. Something told Harry that this wasn't going to be the best day of their life.

"Draco are you sure that you are feeling alright?" Luna asked.

Draco looked across the table at her. The three teens were sitting at one of the outdoor tables of the same restaurant that Harry met Percy for lunch at. They watched the various witches and wizards walk by them. It seemed like Diagon alley was even busy in the morning time. Draco was dressed almost entirely in black. Black pants, black boots, black shirt, and a black blazer with the Slytherin crest on the left breast pocket. Besides the crest the only thing that wasn't black was hi silver tie. Harry was dressed in his usual boots, a pair of black pants, a black shirt and his black leather jacket. His hair was in its usual style but was just black today. His earring was gone and his tattoos were completely covered up. Luna was wearing a black dress that fell to her knees. She also wore black stockings but kept on her normal shoes. The three of them were dressed like they were going to a funeral. And the mood didn't feel any different.

Draco took a pack of cigarettes out of his pockets and shook his head. He placed one of the cigarettes in his mouth and lit it with his wand. "No thanks, he" he declined sullenly.

Luna was about to say something but Harry grabbed her hand under the table and shook his head. No matter how much he may have hated to admit it he was a lot like Malfoy. Trying to talk to him in this situation would only make things worse.

"Are you sure that you want us to be with you?" Harry asked.

Draco exhaled and nodded. "They're going to want witnesses anyways."

Harry looked at his watch. "Come on. We had better get going."

The three teens looked around the large rectangular table in the room. Sitting across from them was Tonks and her mother that she had introduced as Andromeda. Andromeda Tonks was beautiful woman that looked a little too young to be middle aged. Her hair was black and she had vibrant acid green eyes. The group was waiting for the head goblin of Gringotts to enter with the papers. After what seemed like an eternity of tense silence the large golden doors of the main office opened up. In stepped two goblins that were dressed in rather the same manner of all of the others. One hopped up into an elegantly crafted chair that sat at the end of the table. He placed a stack of papers in front of him. The other Goblin took a seat off to the side and pulled out a pad and quill.

"We are here to discuss the will of one Narcissa Black and to divide up her estate as stated in the will," read the goblin in the tall chair. "Let the record show that the reading takes place at exactly eleven. The will is to be read by Ragnot, Head Goblin of Gringotts. Now let begin."

After droning on about who was going to read the will, who was taking notes, and who the participating parties were, they began. First came all of the fluff that only made sense to Draco and Andromeda. After about an hour they finally came to the last part of the will. The division of the estate.

"To my dear sister Andromeda," Ragnot read, "If you are not present at the time of this reading it would not surprise me. I leave you all of grandma's possessions. You always had a liking for her various antiques. To my niece Nymphadora (A vein twitches in Tonks' forehead) I leave you the various pieces of art at the manor. Don't deny it; I always caught you staring at them on the few visits you could make to the manor."

"I always liked art," she mumbled. Though Harry was sure he was the only one that heard her.

"To my sister Bellatrix and my husband Lucius…I leave you nothing. Now get out." Harry and Andromeda laughed, even Draco smiled a little. "To my son Draco." Draco tensed up a little. Luna grabbed his hand and gave it a small squeeze to try and calm him down. "Draco, my pride, in case of my death, accidental or otherwise, I found a loophole in the law that allowed me to have the entire estate put in my name. So I leave you everything from the house to the money. I also leave you my wand." A third goblin appeared out of nowhere to set a wooden box on the table in front of Draco. "I hope that it will serve you well. Be safe my son I know that you will make me proud."

The rest of the will reading was over much faster now that the division of estate had taken place. When it was over Harry and Luna were waiting out in the lobby. Draco was still inside of the room finishing up some business with Ragnot. The two of them were gaining constant stares from the rushing around the bank. For the first few minutes Luna was able to keep them distracted with her theory of Cornelius Fudges Goblin Death Squads. After a while though neither of them felt like talking. Draco was taking longer with the Head Goblin than he should be.

"I wonder what they are talking about." Harry asked.

"I wonder how Draco is feeling." Luna asked in concern.

Harry walked over to the bench she was sitting on and took a seat next to her. "I assume the same as we are. Lost and lonely."

"…Harry, are there any times when you don't feel lonely."

Harry looked over at her face and found himself captivated by her wide silver eyes. They held a childlike innocence that was full of curiosity and concern. It was the same look that she had when she talked to him about Sirius at the end of his fifth year. The same comforting gaze that calmed him down and allowed him to talk about anything.

Looking straight into Luna's eyes he replied, "Yeah, there are."

Luna was about to answer when the door across from them opened up. Draco walked through the door with a blank look on his face. Draco glanced at them but didn't say anything. He turned on his heel and walked toward the entrance of the bank. Harry and Luna shared a look before following after their friend. They were able to catch up to Draco on the stairs of the bank. Harry fell into step beside Draco and Luna skipped beside him on the opposite side. After a second of navigating through the crowd Harry decided to say something.

"So what happened in there?" Harry asked.

"Nothing we were just talking about whether or not we should sell the house," Draco replied.

"What did you decide?"

"Doesn't make a difference. I'll probably never see the house again."

"Are you okay with that?"

Draco turned around and watched Luna skip over a crack in the ground. "Yes."

"Then why are you walking so fast?" Luna was finding it hard to keep up with the boys' long strides.

"I want to hurry up and get out of here. I can't let Death Eaters see me with you."

"You sound frightened?"

"When you're betraying a homicidal maniac in order to work with his nemesis, you have a reason to be a little worried."

Harry smiled over at Luna. "He's got you there."

"Yes but if you conquer yourself, then you conquer your fears and you have no reason to fear your enemies."

"What does that even mean?!"

"I don't know," Harry replied, "but she wins again."

"Bite me Potter."

Harry grabbed Draco and Luna by their shoulders and led them under the awning of the apothecary. "Listen up, Remus told me something." Figuring that it was something important they huddled in closer to listen. "Remus told me that a couple of Death Eaters attacked two ministry officials in broad daylight."

"I haven't heard anything about that," Luna replied.

"Two aurors died in the attack, they probably want to cover it up. They got caught by Kingsley's son though"

"There wasn't any mention of an attack at the last DE meeting," Draco replied. "It must have been a random attack."

"Is that good or bad?" Luna asked.

"Both. It means that the Death Eaters are becoming braver. And that may make it a little more dangerous for us," Harry answered.

"It's bad for Voldemort as well. Foolish attacks like that draw unneeded attention. In a way they're lucky they got caught."

"I think that we should be more careful though," Luna replied. "It's possible that we could be attacked at any minute."

Harry nodded. He had become use to Luna's rare moments of lucidity. "Remus said that we should make sure we don't get separated. We have to stick together no matter where we go. No one travels out alone."

"Things are going to get dangerous from now on," Draco agreed. "We should stock up on potion ingredients." He turned around and walked into the apothecary.

Harry followed Draco into the store with Luna on his heels. "I hope you know more about potions than I do," Harry said.

"It was my best subject."

"While we are here I think that we should get some herbs. So that we can make some healing potions," Luna suggested.

"You are in Ravenclaw for a reason," Draco replied in mock surprise.

* * *

"Harry I think that we should tell him." 

Harry turned around to look at Luna. He was busy working on some of his wand movements. "Tell who about what?" Harry asked in confusion.

"I think that we should tell Draco about the Horcruxes."

Harry stiffened slightly. He still wasn't sure about how much Draco had been telling Voldemort. "Are you sure that we should?"

Luna picked up Harry's dragon earring from the nightstand and showed it to him. "I've been watching the earring for the past couple of weeks. Its eye hasn't changed color since Draco's come here."

Harry nodded and turned around. "Yeah, I know. Malfoy has been a big help since he came here. He's helped us train and he's given us a lot of information. But I just don't know if I can really trust him."

Luna walked over to Harry and placed a hand on his shoulder. "I know that he has put you through a lot. But you have to make a decision soon. I'll support you no matter what."

"Thanks Luna."

Just as he was about to say something more, the room to the door opened. Draco stepped in dressed in a pair of black pants and a tank top. "I'm gonna work on making some Polyjuice potion. But I might need some help."

"Draco there is something that we need to tell you," Luna replied.

Draco looked over his shoulder as he dug around in his case of potion supplies. "I support you guys. Get too sugary and I'll have to kill you."

Luna looked confused but Harry seemed to understand. He blushed and shook his head no. "What do you know about Horcruxes?"

That was enough to stop Draco from rifling through his supplies. He turned around and sat down on the floor. "Not much," he answered quietly. "Horcruxes are items that are infused with pieces of a person's soul. It's sort of a way to gain immortality."

"I'm afraid I don't know too much about them either," Luna said dreamily. "Horcruxes are an archaic form of magic. Very old and very dark. To create a Horcrux, one has to first fragment their soul by killing a person in cold blood. Only those with the blackest of souls attempt to create a Horcrux."

"Why does it matter anyway?" Draco asked. Though he was sure why it mattered.

"Voldemort has Horcruxes." Draco buried his face in his hands and muttered something. "Do you know anything about them at all?"

"No," Draco stood up and shook his head. "Only his inner circle would know something about his Horcruxes." There was a silence that wasn't so much tense as weird. "This makes things harder then?"

Harry nodded. "Luna, the others and I are on a quest to find and destroy them."

"How many of them are there?"

"I'm not sure. One of them was a diary that I destroyed in my second year. Dumbledore found one in the form of Salazar Slytherin's ring. He destroyed that one."

"So how many are left?" Luna asked.

"Dumbledore figures that he has items from each of the Hogwarts founders. A locket that belonged to Rowena Ravenclaw, and something that belonged to Helga Hufflepuff and Godric Gryffindor. Then maybe one more."

"Well the locket shouldn't be that hard to find."

Harry shook his head. "I should have shown both of you sooner." Harry walked over and opened up his chest. He dug around until he pulled out a golden locket. (A.N: I can't remember what it looked like. Sorry.) "We thought that this was one of the Horcruxes. Dumbledore lost his life trying to recover it." He tossed the locket to Draco who caught it deftly.

Draco clicked open the locket and started to read the message inside. Luna walked over and read over his shoulder. "Who the bloody hell is R.A.B?" He asked.

Harry shook his head. "No idea."

"But if we find him then we should be able to find the Horcrux?" Luna guessed.

Harry smiled at her. "That's the thought. We just haven't been able to find him."

"Everything just got more complicated in a matter of seconds." Draco looked at Harry and Luna with a questioning gaze. "Why did you guys tell me all of this?"

Luna knelt down beside Draco and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Draco," she said in a gentle voice. Draco looked up at her a blank stare. "I don't think that you coming to save us that night was a coincidence. I think that it was fate."

"Things are going to get even more dangerous now that we have to search for the Horcruxes. I didn't tell you about this and I understand if you want to back out of our deal." Harry looked over to Luna and nodded in her direction. "But I think that Luna is right. This was supposed to happen. I'm not sure if we can do this without you. We need your help…Draco."

Draco looked up at Harry, then to Luna and back to Harry. "I think that if you want a chance at finding these things…we better get started."

"What?!" Harry asked in shock.

"You really want to help?" Luna asked.

Draco stood up and smirked. "We made a deal didn't we? A Malfoy never goes back on their deals."

"Thank you Draco." Luna said, giving him a brief hug.

Draco shook her off as politely as he could and turned to Harry. He hated physical contact of a nurturing nature. "I want to give them something to worry about." Draco bent his right arm at the elbow, raised it in the air and closed his fist."

Harry smirked. Harry did the same with his left arm and tapped the back of his wrist against Draco's. "We will give them something to worry about." With the back of their wrists still touching they stared hard at one another.

Luna smiled at the two boys. Apparently there was still yet a chance for them to become friends. The only person that she had ever had in her life was her father. Now she had two men in her life to care for. She wasn't sure if that made things easier or harder for her.

**End Chapter**

* * *

**Well there's another ****chapter down. It seems like the three teens have finally come to a solution to their problem. Just how long will that last? What could happen next? ****Maybe a visit from Harry's friends?**** Please review and I'll see you soon!**


	9. Chapter 9:Choosing Allegiances

**My readers have pointed out a number of mistakes regarding Horcruxes in the last chapter. Apparently it was Slytherin's Locket, Gaunt's Ring etc. And I left the cup out for a reason. Thank you all for pointing out these mistakes to me. I will fix them, but for my sanity please pretend that they have already been fixed and ****bear**** with me. Thank you.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. I just control the fate of it's characters!**

* * *

**Chapter 9:**** Choosing Allegiance**

"Keep your arm loose and relaxed!" Draco directed.

Draco thrust his blade downward at the legs but Harry crossed his arms over his face and held his rapier at a downward diagonal angle. The defensive strategy was enough to block Draco's strike. He spun out to the right like it was a dance, dragging his blade across Draco's. Draco smirked and pulled his head back to avoid the strike. Harry was getting better at sword fighting as he only missed his target by about an inch. When he came out of his spin he brought his sword up just in time to block another strike from his Slytherin dueling partner. He stabbed at Draco's mid-section; Draco arched his back so that the tip of Harry's word came up just short of its target. He swiped at Harry's head but Harry ducked and slashed at Draco's legs. Draco jumped over the blade and swiped at Harry. Thanks to his seeker reflexes, Harry was able to roll backwards. By the time Harry righted himself it was too late. Draco kicked off from his stance and launched himself forward. He switched his sword to his left hand and made one wide swipe out to the left. His strike knocked Harry's blade out to the side. Draco kicked the sword out of his hand and pointed the tip of his sword at Harry's neck.

Harry breathed as though all of the air had been sucked out of him. "Wh-what was that?" He gasped.

Draco smirked and withdrew his sword. "Just something I made up on the spot," he said, pulling Harry to his feet.

Luna watched the two boys from her spot near backdoor. The Dursleys had gone on a weekend vacation, leaving them alone in the house. Luna could tell that the magic hating muggles didn't really want to leave the 'freaks' alone in their house. But between Draco and Harry they didn't have much of a choice. So for today they decided to take their practice outside. It was just fencing practice and the fences were high enough to keep them from being seen. Luna had already had her training with Draco and was currently looking through a rather large tome. After telling Draco about the Horcruxes they had gone searching for a text on the subject. Finally they were able to find one in a shop at Knocturn Alley. Finding the Horcruxes were only part of their quest. They also had to destroy them once they found them. That's what Luna was doing now.

Unfortunately, finding a way to destroy the Horcruxes was proving to be a difficult task in itself. She had been searching for almost four hours and still found nothing. The only time that she had taken a break all day was when she had stopped for her training with Draco. The metallic clink of blades reached her ears, bading her to look up from the book. Once again the boys were back onto their training. Over the last couple of weeks their training had intensified greatly. They started training with the Half-Blood Prince curses, shield charms, Patronus charm, and the Unforgivables as their main focuses. On the insistence of Draco even she had started to work with him on the unforgivable curses. Of course Harry was there to make sure that Draco didn't carry it too far. She was pretty good at warding off the Imperius Curse and she was getting better at taking the Cruciatus. Though she was still unable to compete with the boys in that area.

Luna watched again as Harry was disarmed by Draco. She smiled at the look of annoyance on Harry's face. "What am I doing wrong?" He breathed.

"Nothing," Draco replied. He slid the rapier back in its sheathe and smiled. "I'm just better than you right now. And you're putting too much emphasis on power. You need to work on precision first."

"First I'm going to work on getting a shower. I'm sweaty as hell."

The two boys walked back over to Luna who handed them towels to wipe the sweat from their bodies. It was a hot day out so they were dressed simply in muscle shirts and sweatpants. Luna was dressed in a light blue t-shirt and a pair of jeans that she wore rolled up to her knees. The boys accepted the towels from her with a gracious nod and started wiping themselves down.

"Thanks Luna." Harry smiled and sat down next to her. He leaned over to look at the book. "Did you find out anything?"

Luna gulped slightly from having Harry so close to her. Sure she almost always slept with him but it was a little different when they were both awake. "I-I haven't been able to find anything."

Harry groaned and rested his head on her shoulder. "I guess it will go faster when we start helping." He closed his eyes and nuzzled his head into her shoulder. "Sorry I'm all sweaty," he murmured.

Luna smiled and trailed a hand through his damp hair. "It doesn't bother me," she replied.

Draco looked back and forth between the two of them. "I'd say get a room but I'm afraid I would end up sharing it with you." He draped the towel over his shoulder and smirked at them.

Harry blushed and looked a little flustered. If Luna understood what Draco said then she was pretending like she didn't. "Whatever do you mean Draco?" She asked politely.

Draco knew that she knew exactly what he meant. She was just trying her best to pretend like she didn't. "I think that you know exactly what I'm talking about." He smirked at Luna, causing her to blush.

"Hey you three!" The teens turned around and saw Tonks walking towards them. She was dressed in a plaid skirt that fell down to her knees, her legs were covered in black fishnet stockings. Her top was a purple tank top that she wore under a fishnet shirt. She wore her usual combat boots. "What are you guys up to?"

"Tonks, I'm glad that you are here!" Harry replied, jumping to his feet. He was thankful for the interruption during the awkward moment.

"Wotcher Harry!" She greeted enthusiastically. When he got closer she noticed that Harry looked a little flustered. She peered around him to look at Luna and Draco. Luna looked a little upset but Draco had a strangely amused expression on his face. "Right. Are you okay mate? You're all sweaty and flushed." She said checking his temperature.

"Yeah. We were just training and it's a little hot," Harry said quickly.

"Riiigghht?" Tonks stated unsurely. "That's actually what I wanted to talk to you about."

Luna walked over with Draco and smiled at Tonks. "Are we getting some new training?" She asked.

"If you want," Tonks replied with a smile. "You guys need to get some secondary wands. That way Bill and I can teach you how to duel with two wands. We can also teach you wand less magic."

Draco regarded her oddly. "You sound happy about that."

"Well I really wanted to help you guys."

"That's not what I meant."

Tonks looked a little confused but Harry and even Luna seemed to pick up on what Draco was implying. "Never mind him Tonks. We would really appreciate the help." He said earnestly.

"Okay. I'm getting off of my shift in a second or two, so I have to meet with Dung. I'll tell Bill that you want our help." She said excitedly. She waved exuberantly and hurried off, but not before tripping over a rock in the grass. "I'm fine!" She called.

Harry shook his head and turned back to Draco. "I think that we just found a difference maker."

"Now if we could just find Voldemort's." He turned around and walked back into the house.

"I think he's been putting too much pressure on himself." Harry and Luna shared a glance before walking back into the house.

"Give your wand just a little more of a flourish, concentrate on your happy memory, and speak the incantation clearly," Harry instructed.

Harry and Luna were back in the room practicing the Patronus Charm while Draco took a shower. Harry had already taken his shower and changed. He was wearing a pair of black jeans and a dark green shirt that matched his eyes. Luna didn't need a shower since she didn't really do any training with them outside. She needed a break from studying the Horcruxes, so Harry suggested that she practice with her Patronus.

"Expecto Patronum!" A silver shield shot out of the end of Luna's wand and fanned out around her. The shield held up for a few seconds and then disappeared. Luna sighed and shook her head. "Sorry Harry. I just don't think that I can do it."

"Well you're flourishing your wand a little too much now," Harry sighed. He walked up behind Luna and awkwardly placed his hands on her wrists. Luna stiffened "Now imagine your happiest moment in life, let it fill you, lift your spirit and let it act as the power for the Patronus. Do you have the memory?" Luna nodded. "Now just follow my lead." Luna allowed him to guide her through the movements. "Exclaim the spell, and that's it."

"…That's it?" She turned around and looked at him with large silver eyes.

Finally realizing the position they were in, he became very uncomfortable. There was something about having her so close that was affecting him. When she was sleeping it was different. He couldn't see her eyes and she didn't have the same dreamy smile on her face. It was so captivating that he was having trouble tearing his eyes away from her. Unfortunately, or fortunately, he couldn't decide which; Luna wasn't going to look away from him either.

"Harry?" Harry blinked as if coming out of a trance and shook his head. "I something wrong? Why are you looking at me like that?"

"Like what?" He asked quietly.

"Like…that." She pointed to his face. Luna could feel the heat rising in her own cheeks and her heartbeat to speed up.

Harry felt a fluttering in his stomach and shook his head once again. "I don't know."

He pulled her a little closer and gently ran his hands up and down her arms. Harry had no idea what he was doing but it just felt right. Luna finally relaxed and leaned back into him. Using her free arm she reached up and ran her hand gently through his hair. Harry leaned down a little so that he could rest his head on her shoulder. When Luna turned her head she saw Harry's emerald green eyes staring back at her. She closed her own eyes and leaned towards Harry, not realizing that he was doing the same thing. Their lips were only inches apart and getting closer. Only a centimeter now.

DING DONG

Harry and Luna immediately jumped away from one another. They quickly turned their backs to one another, breathing hard. "Was…was that the doorbell?" Harry asked. He knew that he was blushing slightly and he didn't want Luna to see.

"I believe so," she answered as calmly as possible. Her own face was as red as the radish earrings that she loved to wear so often.

"I'll go get it then," he replied quietly.

Harry hurried from the room, closing the door behind him. He leaned back on the door and took in a deep breath. What had he been thinking? He was just about to kiss Luna! Why? It was probably an impulse but he had to be careful. Luna had become very important to him; she had become one of his best friends in a matter of only a week. There was no way he was going to ruin that over some silly little impulse. He could still hear the shower running, which. Harry took a second before opening the door to compose himself. His hand curled around the knob of the door and he pulled it open. Harry looked at his visitors and his eyes opened wide.

"Ron, Hermione, Ginny?" He asked in surprise.

Standing in the doorway was a tall lanky boy with flaming red hair. He was dressed in a pair of brown pants and dark red shirt. Next to him was a young girl with the same flaming red hair as the boy. Her hair traveled all the way down to mid back. She was dressed in a pair of blue jeans and a matching shirt. The girl in the front had bushy brown hair and deep coffee brown eyes. She was dressed in a pair of form fitting blue jeans and a white peasant blouse. The girl smiled, revealing perfect pearly white teeth.

"Harry!" Hermione launched herself at Harry and threw her arms around him. "How are you?! Are you alright?!"

Harry returned the hug with an awkward one of his own. "Wh-what are you guys doing here?"

"Told you he would be surprised. We're here to see how you were doing mate," Ron replied.

"Better late than never," Harry muttered.

"What?" Ginny asked. She walked up to him to get a hug.

"Nothing Ginny." He hugged her but it wasn't the same as before. It didn't feel the same as it did when they were dating.

"Where is Luna? I've been really worried about her," Hermione said.

"She's up in my room but-"

It was too late; they were already on their way up the stairs. Harry smirked. They sure were in for a surprise when they got there. If they ran into Draco he would need to be there to stop the impending fight. When he reached the top of the stairs he could hear that the shower had stopped running. On the other hand there was no shouting so that meant he still had time. When he reached his room Hermione was on the bed talking to Luna. Ron and Ginny were looking around the room in mild surprise.

"Harry when did this happen?" Ron asked.

"Just a couple of weeks ago. Did some expansion spells and a few transfigurations."

Hermione looked up from Luna to regard Harry with a glare. "I know that you aren't going back to school but you could still have your wand snapped."

"That isn't exactly a problem anymore," he replied cryptically.

"Which bed is the transfigured one," Ginny asked. Harry pointed to the one closest to the desk. "Who sleeps in that one?"

"Luna and I share this bed." Harry said before he could catch himself. Ron and Hermione looked shocked at Harry's confession. Ginny on the other hand looked very angry.

"Well then why do you have a second bed?" Hermione asked curiously.

Before he could elaborate, the door swung open and Draco walked in. He was dressed in a pair of black pants and a grey muscle shirt. It appeared that he didn't notice the new arrivals. "I've been thinking. Since we can't find a way to destroy the…bloody hell." He muttered.

There was a tense moment of silence in the room while Draco stared at the three Gryffindors. Harry and Luna stood to the side watching the scene in an almost anxious silence. In the blink of an eye four wands were drawn. Despite being the faster draw, Draco outnumbered three to one. Harry and Luna jumped in between the wands and held their hands out.

"Everyone just calm down!" Harry cried.

Luna turned around to face Draco with a serene look on her face. "Please put your wand away Draco."

"Not on your bloody life," he said coldly. He leveled his wand and glared hatefully at Ron.

**"What in the hell is he doing here?!"** Ron shouted.

"It's kind of a long story," Harry replied.

"I betrayed Voldemort and I'm working with Potter."

"Okay. Maybe it isn't that long of a story."

"What are you thinking Harry?!" Hermione scolded. "Can you really trust Malfoy?!"

"Let me explain. Just lower your wands." Neither Draco, Ginny nor Ron lowered their wands. Hermione lowered her wand but didn't put it away. The look that she gave him said, 'Make this good.' "Yes I can trust him. I can trust him because…"

Draco grabbed Harry and pulled him to the side. "I don't want them to know my business!" He hissed in a whisper.

"It may be the only way that they will trust you."

"Like I said before, I don't need their trust. Just yours. If you want to work with them then that's fine. Just don't expect me to."

Harry sighed in annoyance. He did make Draco a deal though. He wasn't going to tell anyone about what happened between his father and his mother. He turned to his friends and replied, "All I can say is that I trust him."

"You'll have to do better than that," Ron growled. "This guy has made our lives a living hell."

"Yeah. Are we supposed to believe that you're doing this out of the kindness of your heart?" Ginny sneered.

"Relax Weaselette," Draco shot back. "I'm only in this for myself. I have something to gain from this just as Potter does!"

"Why do you trust him Harry?"

Harry groaned and stared at Hermione. "Almost a month ago he saved me and Luna." Harry blinked. Were they really that far into July already?

"If it wasn't for Draco the dementors would have kissed us," Luna added. She walked between her two boys and patted Draco on the shoulder. She could see that Harry was flustered trying to defend Draco against his friends. She gave his hand a gentle squeeze. This didn't go unnoticed by Ginny who bristled in anger.

Hermione glared at Harry in concern. This was the second time that Harry had been attacked by dementors in Little Whinging. Voldemort really was getting bolder. There was something that she couldn't understand though. How had Draco found them? He must have been searching for quite some time but why.

"Not to mention that he has been teaching us spells and how to fence," Harry said.

"And he passed on valuable information about Death Eater attacks."

Hermione looked between the two blonds in surprise. "You're the new spy?!" She asked in shock.

Draco smirked haughtily at the Gryffindor. "Thought you had me all figured out, huh, mud-Granger?" Draco had to restrain himself from using the word mudblood. He still had his wand pointed at the Weasleys.

"How do you know that this isn't some kind of trick?" Ron asked angrily. "How do you know you can trust him?!"

"Or Luna for that matter," Ginny said spitefully.

Luna's silver eyes sunk and she stepped back so that the boys were in front of her. She thought that Ginny was her friend. So why didn't she trust her anymore? Draco's grip on his wand tightened. Something inside him snapped a little when Ginny insulted Luna. Before he could cast a curse Harry stepped back in.

"First of all never insult Luna again," Harry said in a dangerously low voice. "I was about to go completely mental before she came here." Ginny swallowed hard and stepped back from Harry in fright. "Second, I trusted them enough to tell them about the Horcruxes."

"You told them about the Horcruxes?" Hermione asked.

"No!" Ron cried. "There is no way that I am working with him! You have to choose right now Harry! Us or him?!"

"Ronald!" Hermione scolded.

"You're giving me an ultimatum?" Harry's eyes darkened. Just the thought of Ron doing that made him angry. Sensing his anger everyone moved back accept for Luna and Draco. "Fine." Harry slowly drew his wand from his belt.

Draco felt a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach. After all he had been through he could feel it all fading away. Any chance that he had of avenging his mother's death was slipping out of his grasp. Without Harry there was no chance. He would definitely choose the others over him. That's why it was such a shock when he turned around and pointed his wand at Ron. Everyone stood stock still; none of them were sure what to say anymore.

"I choose him," Harry answered.

**"What!" **Ron bellowed. His entire face turned bright red in indignation. **"How could you choose him over us?!"**

**"Because he isn't acting like a complete prat!" **Harry shouted back. Luna placed a hand on his shoulder and he took a deep breath to calm himself down. "He's been training with me but you can't even write a letter. He has more to bring to this fight than you do."

**"Then fuck you Potter!" **The redhead roared. **"Come on Ginny! Hermione! ****Let's**** go!"**

He stomped past Harry, pushing him to the side. Ginny followed after him with tears in her eyes. She was embarrassed. Not only had Harry chosen their worst enemy over her but another girl as well.

"Wait Ron!" Hermione cried. She ran up to Harry and grabbed his sleeve. "Harry please say something!"

"…Sorry Hermione. This is how it is."

"Forget him Hermione. Let's go!"

"Don't rush me Ronald!" Hermione cried.

Tears welled up in the brunette's eyes. Luna walked over to Hermione and patted her back in a comforting manner. Draco, who never took his eyes off of Ron, briefly turned to look at Hermione. Harry walked up to Hermione, placed a hand on her shoulder and smiled.

"Don't worry Hermione. After all Draco has put you through I don't blame you for not trusting him. Or me. But I'm not going to make you choose. Because real friends don't do that." He turned his head and glared at Ron. "I just hope that you don't blame me. No matter what you choose to do, you are still my big sister." He kissed her on the cheek and ruffled her hair playfully.

Hermione's heart swelled at Harry's words. No matter whom she chose he was going to be there for her. Hermione glanced back and forth from to Harry; who was now having a conversation with Draco and Luna. At the end of their sixth year she made a promise to Harry that she would help him find the Horcruxes. Then there was the promise that she made to herself six years ago. Harry was her first real friend and she promised that she would protect him. She just couldn't leave Harry. As much as she cared about Ron and Ginny she had to stay with Harry.

"Hermione!"

Hermione turned around and glared at Ron. There was a mixture of anger and sadness in her eyes. "Do not speak to me like that Ronald," she said stonily. "I am sorry. But I made a promise to Harry. I won't break my promise."

Ron glared at Hermione and stepped forward to say something. Before he could make a move Harry moved to stand behind Hermione. Giving up, the redhead turned on his heels and stormed out of the room. Ginny looked back at Harry on last time and sent a glare Luna's way before disappearing through the door. For a long time none of them said anything until they heard the front door close. Harry turned around and smiled at Hermione.

"Thank you Mione," he whispered quietly. "I don't think I could do this without you."

Hermione threw her arms around him and cried into his chest. "I made you a promise."

"…I know."

"And I wanted to write you so badly," she sobbed. "But I was being selfish."

Harry shook with anger but he wasn't angry with Hermione. He was angry with Ron for making him choose. He was angry with himself for putting Hermione in the position where she had to choose sides. Probably the thing that made him the angriest was Ginny. How could she have treated Luna that way? The young Ravenclaw had never done anything to her. Draco and Luna watched Harry comfort the crying girl as best as he could. Draco nudged Luna and nodded at the two Gryffindors. She walked over and sat down on the bed to stroke Hermione's hair. Draco walked past them and stopped at the door. He turned around and saw Harry Looking at him. What surprised him the most was that it wasn't a hateful glance. In fact there wasn't much emotion in the look at all, just confusion. Draco pointed to his left forearm and received a nod from Harry. Draco turned around and walked out of the door.

* * *

"What was that all about?" Bill asked. 

Moody and Kingsley looked up from the papers they were studying to glance at Bill. "What do you mean?" Moody asked.

Molly Weasley walked into the room shaking her head. "I don't know what is the matter with those two. Ron comes in as angry as a wronged Hippogriff and Ginny is crying her eyes out!"

"They came back?" Kingsley asked.

Bill shook his head. When Kingsley and Moody were really into something it was hard to get their attention. "Yeah. But Hermione didn't come back with them."

"You do think that she is alright don't you?"

"The kid is fine." Everyone turned around to see Mundungus Fletcher walking in through the door. "Wes is in place," he said groggily.

"Mundungus," Moody growled, "you wine soaked git. Where is the girl?"

"Wot girl?"

"Granger you blithering idiot!"

"At Potters," he said airily. "There was an argument. Then the Malfoy kid went to a meetin." That was all he said before stumbling off into the kitchen.

Everyone looked around at one another in slight confusion. "I'm going to go and check on the kids," Molly said. She wiped her hands on her apron and walked up the stairs, muttering to herself about drunken fools.

Moody looked up to Bill and then Kingsley. "Bill, Kingsley, I think that we should move up Potter's arrival to Grimmauld Place."

"I was thinking the same thing," Kingsley agreed.

"We can't go tonight," Bill said. "We could be caught out in the open and we don't have enough people to form an advance guard."

"Good thinking kid," Moody agreed. He ran a hand through his grizzly hair. "We can leave for Privet Drive tomorrow."

Kingsley nodded. "I can go and get Tonks from the ministry and let her know."

"Fred and George have been getting bored lately. I'll tell them we have a job to do tomorrow night."

* * *

Hermione looked around the room in mild interest. She had never seen his room before this but she knew that it was supposed to be small. The three teens used some pretty decent transfiguration to make the room this nice. Various books littered the desk. Some of them were just normal school books but there were others as well. Some such books read: _Advanced Dueling Spells, Advanced Defensive __Spell casting__, Theories of Fencing, _and _Potions for Masters._ She glanced down on the floor and saw a set of potion vials sitting in a rack. There were ten vials, all of which contained a disgusting looking grayish potion. A potion that she was able to recognize as Polyjuice. She ignored the vials and walked back over to the bed that Harry and she had been sitting on earlier. Sitting on the nightstand was a wand that she recognized as Dumbledore's. She started to reach for the wand when a voice suddenly interrupted. 

"You shouldn't touch things that don't belong to you."

Hermione started and turned around. "You shouldn't sneak up on people," she growled.

Draco smirked at her from the doorframe. "Whatever. Where are Harry and Luna?"

"They went out for a walk."

"You didn't go with them?" Draco walked over to the window and opened it up.

"Obviously not," she snarled.

"Temper Granger temper," Draco warned. He walked back over to his bed and picked up a large tome. He sat down on the edge of the bed and began to read.

"I will not watch my temper! None of this makes any sense!" She cried, jumping to her feet. "None of this makes any sense! You turned on Voldemort. You're calling Harry and Luna by their first name! You aren't calling me mudblood! What's happening here?!" She finished.

"Were you saying something?" Draco asked.

Hermione glowered dangerously at the Slytherin. She hated it when people ignored her. "I am warning you Draco. If you are tricking Harry in anyway," she stepped closer to him and squared her hips threateningly, "you'll live to regret it."

There was a dangerous flash in the Slytherin's eyes. Draco calmly set the book down on his bed and got to his feet. "And just how would you do that?" He stepped closer to Hermione, who took a step back. "You can't even stand up to me now. What happened to your Gryffindor bravery? You hit me once before, do it again."

Hermione refused to be baited by the Slytherin and took a step back. "I made my point Malfoy."

Draco smirked and shook his head. "I guess I do have to give you some credit. After all you are willing to work with me."

"I am not working with you. I'm doing this for Harry."

"Well I sure as hell hope you're doing it for someone. Cause it isn't Weasley."

Hermione bristled angrily at the young man. She pulled her hand back to slap him but never got the chance. Draco's hand shot up and wrapped around Hermione's, cutting her off in mid swing. With the swiftness that only a Quidditch player could possess, he pinned her against the wall. Hermione tried to kick him but Malfoy leaned into her so that there was no chance of her attacking him. The brunette tried to struggle out of his grasp but he was too strong for her. Hermione wanted to do something even if it was just to threaten him a little. Unfortunately when he looked at her she was paralyzed by his icy stare.

"Don't ever pretend that you know me," he hissed dangerously. "I made a deal with Harry and Luna. I won't go back on it."

"Am I interrupting something?"

Draco turned his head to see Luna watching them from the doorway. "Not at all." He let Hermione go and backed away from the girl. "Where's Potter?"

"Harry stayed outside. I think that he wanted to smoke." Luna walked" into the room and sat on her bed. "I think that he should stop. It's a very unhealthy habit."

"I think that I should go and join him. I need some fresh air." He nodded towards Hermione as if to make a point and walked out of the room.

"Ugh," Hermione groaned in disgust. "How do you put up with him Luna?" She asked, sitting next to the blond.

"Draco isn't really all that bad. You just have to know him."

Hermione shook her head. There were times that she wished she could have Luna's innocent way of thinking.

Harry exhaled a puff of grey smoke as he watched the setting sun. He couldn't believe what he had done today. He gave up a friend of nearly seven years in less than a minute. Harry wanted to tell himself that it was for the good of the war. He just wasn't so sure anymore. Had he been spending too much time with Draco and that's why he thought that siding with him would be the better choice? No. He knew that Draco was the better choice. It was that he was just having a hard with the choice that he had made.

"Can I ask you something?"

"…Go ahead," Harry replied.

Draco walked up and sat down next to him. "Why did you choose me?" He asked, taking out his own pack of cigarettes.

"I already told you why. I think that you can help me more than Ron can."

"Choosing power over your friends?" Draco lit his cigarette and smirked. "That is a real Slytherin quality."

Harry glanced at Draco from the corner of his eye. "That's not what I did," Harry replied coolly. That was exactly what Harry had done. He just didn't want to admit that he had some Slytherin qualities.

"Really? Could have fooled me."

"Does that mean that you'll drop me and Luna as soon as someone more powerful comes along?"

"You're forgetting, we are the most powerful," Draco boasted. Harry gave him a small smile and continued to smoke his cigarette. "And we aren't friends remember?"

"If we aren't friends, then you should expect this and not get mad." Harry smacked Draco's cigarette from his hand with an evil smirk.

"That's it…your dead Potter."

Before Harry had the chance to move, Draco tackled him to the ground causing him to lose his cigarette. The two teens wrestled with each other for nearly fifteen minutes before running out of breath. Declaring a timeout the two boys rolled over so that they were lying in the grass. Neither Harry nor Draco knew how long they lay in the grass, staring up at the sky. Just as neither knew how long it had been since someone said something. Finally deciding to break the silence Draco turned his head so that he was facing Harry.

"Hey Harry," he called. His breathing was still slightly labored.

"Yeah?" Harry asked, also slightly out of breath.

"What you did back there, no one's ever stuck up for me like that for me before. I guess that what I'm trying to say is, well I-"

"You're welcome," Harry said. "Besides we still have to show those Death Eaters."

There was another moment of companionable silence. "Do I really have to work with Granger?" Draco whined.

Harry's smile split into a grin. "Yep."

"Do I have to be nice to her?!"

"It was part of the deal."

"Can't I curse her just a little?"

"No!"

"Come on! I promise it won't be anything bad!"

"Nope! You have to play nice," Harry teased.

"Bollocks," Draco groaned miserably.

Harry shook his head in amusement. How had this come to happen? He had given up some of his old friends for new ones. On the inside though, he knew that he had made the right choice. With Hermione back in the picture, their chances of finding and destroying the Horcruxes greatly increased. Tomorrow they would continue their training. Together, they would become the best and the strongest. And one day, maybe they would even change the world.

**End Chapter**

* * *

**Okay, it's like 6 A.M. so I'm going to go to sleep before I actually post this. If the end seems kind of lame ****it's**** because I'm tired as hell. Before I hibernate, ****I would like to request that review please. Tell me what you thought of this latest chapter. Until next time!**


	10. Chapter 10:Midnight Flight

**Thank you everyone for your reading as well as the reviews. I think that this is chapter 10, so let us get started. What will happen next?**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. ****Ask me again and Lucius will come after you.**

* * *

**Chapter 10: Midnight Flight**

_"Harry, the order will arrive at your house at 12' o'clock tonight. As in your fifth year we will be traveling by broomstick. Make sure you are ready. And remember…Constant Vigilance!_

This was the message that the trio had received in the fireplace earlier this morning. Things were getting dangerous for them; it was obvious by the tone in Moody's voice that they could no longer stay at Privet Drive. Hermione left for Grimmauld Place earlier that day by means of a portkey. The rest of them however were going to have to travel by flight. Luna and Draco both needed brooms to travel by and Harry's Firebolt had received too much damage during the previous year to be of any real use. That's why the trio found themselves in Diagon Alley today. They were going to go shopping for some new brooms. Harry led them down the crowded streets towards the Quality Quidditch Supplies store. Draco fingered the potion vial in the pocket of his pants. His Polyjuice potion had finally come to a full brew and he decided that it would be best to carry a vial at all times. Luna however skipped along behind them without a worry.

"We really shouldn't have come out here," Harry said. His green eyes shifted around from witch to wizard and back. "If Moody felt that he needed to warn us, it must be something."

Draco shook his head. "The old man is losing his mind Harry. It's probably just his paranoia acting up again."

"Besides, we need brooms so that we can make the trip tonight," Luna interjected.

"Maybe you guys are right," Harry replied. It scared him when he was the voice of reason in the group. "I just got a bad feeling about this whole broom thing."

"Don't worry about it," Draco said lazily. "We'll just have to deal with whatever comes."

Harry led them towards the Quidditch Supplies store and walked into the shop. Several young wizards were in the sore marveling over the new brooms. Others, some older, were glancing at the various articles of Quidditch equipment. Items such as pads, uniforms, and the various types of balls littered the store. Near the window a couple of children were reading the magazines on racing brooms and Quidditch. Feeling a sort of relief at being inside, Harry was finally able to relax. Luna placed her hand on his shoulder and gave it a comforting squeeze.

"Feeling better?" She asked.

Harry nodded. He stared around the shop in an almost wistful manner. "I'm fine."

"Really? You seem a little upset."

"Well it's just that, if I don't go back to Hogwarts I might never play Quidditch again. It feels kind of weird."

"Enough sentimentality Potter," Draco groaned. "We have to hurry up with this."

"You mean that you aren't going to miss playing Quidditch?" Luna asked. She ran on of her fingers over a set of pads.

"I'm not here to worry about the stuff I'm going to miss," Draco replied. He walked over to the window to check out one of the brooms. "Let's just get this over with."

"Alright. Knowing Moody he'll want to move as fast as possible. I think that we should get something fast." He motioned towards a broom over in the right window. "What broom is that?"

"That is the new Nimbus model, Midnight." Harry and the others turned around. Standing before them was a young man with mousy brown hair and an oval shaped face. He walked over and took the broom off its display stand. "The Nimbus midnight is the fastest, most versatile racing broom on the market. It reaches faster speeds than any broom before it, the handling is so sensitive just a small flick of the wrist will make hairpin turns, and the sleek design offers very minimal wind resistance." He offered the broom to Harry who took it in his left hand.

"Wow, it's so light," he commented.

Draco and Luna walked up next to him to check out the broom. The Nimbus Midnight lived up to its name as the entire broom was painted black. The only change in color was the words _'Nimbus Midnight' _etched in silver on the handle. The body of the broom was sleek and highly polished walnut woods. The bristles at the end of the broom were smooth and ended in a fine point. Silver stirrups were built firmly in the sides of the broom as a place for the rider to rest their feet. Harry ran a hand over the broom before handing it over to Draco.

"What do you think Draco?" Harry asked.

"I like it," he said with a nod. "What about you Luna?"

Luna accepted the broom from Draco and gave it a onceover. It felt so right in her hands. Though it had been a while since she had actually flown a broom she was sure that she could manage. "It has a nice feel," she answered.

Harry smiled and turned to face the employee. "We'll take three of them."

The employee pulled a surprised face and muttered, "Why can't we work on commission."

After purchasing the brooms and placing a temporary shrinking charm on them they made their way back to one of the apparition points. Since they hadn't taught Luna how to apparate yet she had to do side-along apparition with Harry. Draco took a quick glance around the area to make sure they weren't being watched and nodded to Harry. Harry nodded back and wrapped his arm around Luna's waist. After a second of concentration there was a loud crack and they disappeared. The two of them reappeared in the back yard with a small crack. Another crack followed, announcing Draco's arrival. Harry turned back just to make sure that it was indeed Draco.

"Come on we should start packing," Harry suggested.

The three teens walked back into the house only to hear voices in the other room. Harry recognized the voices as belonging to his relatives. If at all possible he wanted to avoid his relatives to the last second. Draco and Harry continued on past the living room and towards the stairs. Luna stopped to try and say hello but the boys grabbed her and pulled her along with them. Over the past weeks that Draco had been staying with them he had done many things to the Dursleys. That included hexes, curses, scare tactics, and some items that he had 'procured' from the twins' shop. So it was very unlikely that they would be receptive to them. When they reached the room they had immediately started packing.

They had packed all of their important things into their trunks. First they packed all of the clothes they owned into the bottom of their trunks. Next came all of the important books that they were going to need, including the tome that had information on the Horcruxes. Draco also packed his cauldron, some potion ingredients, a case of already brewed potions and a couple of books of his own. Harry looked around and saw Luna packing something that looked like her school books. He blinked curiously and shook his head. If he hadn't seen her add in a Transfiguration textbook a second later he would have thought he was seeing things. The only thing that could possibly mean was that she wanted to go back to school. He wasn't going to comment on that now though. He would ask her about it later.

"When are they going to get here again?" Draco asked.

Harry shook his head. "They wanted to leave at midnight. So they'll probably show up a few minutes early."

"What about your relatives Harry?" Luna asked. "What are we going to do about them?"

"Why do anything about them? I say we just leave them here," Draco said coldly.

"Harry, what if they get attacked?"

"Why do you care?" Draco asked indignantly. He stood up and glared angrily at Luna. "You've seen what they think about us. How they treated Potter. Why should you care?"

"Just because they aren't the nicest of people doesn't mean that they should be hurt," Luna argued a little lamely.

"Sorry Luna," Harry said softly. Luna turned to Harry with a slightly hurt expression on her face. Harry blinked and had to look away from the younger girl. "After everything they have done to me, I can't honestly care about what happens to them." He turned away from her as if to say that the conversation was at an end.

Luna wanted to say something but instead she walked out of the room. The boys heard the door to the bathroom down the hall close and shook their heads. "That girl has got to learn that not everything in the world is so simple," Draco murmured.

"…Naivety is her strongest weapon."

"It will get her killed one day."

"Either that or it will save us." Draco arched an inquisitive brow at Harry. "She's one of the few truly selfless people in this world. The world could use more people like her."

Draco smirked. "Maybe you are right. Who knows?" Draco shrugged his shoulders. He closed his eyes and lay down on his bed. He closed his eyes, deciding to get some sleep before it was time for them to depart.

The next few hours were exhaustingly boring for Harry and Draco. Neither of them talked to the other; they just awaited the order members anxiously. Neither of the boys tried to talk after their argument with Luna. Likewise Luna decided that she would be better off reading. When the time reached five minutes before twelve they placed charms on their trunks to make them float behind them. They made sure that their brooms were firmly strapped to their trunks. The teens made their way as quietly as they possibly could down the stairs and out of the back door. The backyard was dark and deserted when the teens walked outside. The night air was cool and there was no doubt that it would get colder while they were flying. Luna sat down her trunk and stared down at her shoes. After almost ten minutes of waiting the guard still hadn't shown up.

"What time is it?" Draco asked.

Harry checked his watch and sighed. "Five after. They're late, maybe something happened."

"Are you sure that we should have trusted them?"

"I do not think that they would betray us," Luna said.

No sooner did she say that than several cracks announced the arrival of several witches and wizards. Harry drew both of his wands as did Draco. Luna jumped to the side of the two boys with her own wand drawn. Though there was no need to draw their wands at all. Remus, Kingsley, Bill, Tonks, Fred, George, Moody and one other man that Harry didn't recognize stood before them. Each of them had a broom in hand. The man that Harry didn't recognize was dark skinned and the spitting image of Kingsley. Harry assumed this to be the auror's son. Remus stepped forward to shake hands with the teens.

"Sorry we're late," he replied. "Alastor wanted to backtrack to make sure that we weren't being followed."

Moody stepped forward. "Basic tactic to lose pursuers," he growled. "We can't afford to be followed."

"Wotcher Harry! Draco, Luna!" Tonks greeted enthusiastically.

The three teens greeted her while the twins went about checking out their new brooms. "I hope you don't mind me interrupting Tonks." Harry turned and saw the Kingsley copy just behind him.

"Not at all Wes," she replied with a smile.

"My name is Wesley Shacklebolt," Wesley greeted in a friendly manner. "It's good to finally meet you Harry Potter." He said, shaking Harry's hand.

"Please call me Harry," he said. He shook hands with the young auror and turned to introduce his friends. "This is Draco Malfoy and Luna Lovegood."

Wesley turned and shook hands with Draco and Luna. "A pleasure to meet both of you. I know a lot about the two of you as well."

"How?" Draco asked suspiciously.

"Case files."

Tonks shook her head. "You always were kind of a bookworm."

"Oi! When did you guys get these?!" Fred asked. He was pointing at the brand new Midnights.

Bill shook his head. "Never mind that. We should hurry up and get going." He walked over to the trunks and cast a charm on them to make them feather light. Then he chained them to the brooms.

"Okay. First I want everyone to disillusion themselves. Then listen to Moody for instructions," Kingsley ordered."

After casting the Disillusionment Charm on themselves Moody started to give directions. "Here's how things are going to go," he said gruffly. "In the front will be Remus, Kingsley, and Bill. I want the three of you to follow just behind them." He pointed to the teens and gave them a nod. "Fred and George will follow on either side of you. Wesley, Nymphadora and I will follow as the rear guard."

"Stop calling me Nymphadora!" The metamorphmagus cried angrily.

Moody seemed to be ignoring her. He mounted his broom and signaled the others to do so. "We don't break for anything. If one of us is killed, we don't break formation. Let's go!"

Bill, Remus and Kingsley all kicked off the ground and rose into the air. Kingsley took point at the front; Bill lined up on his left just a few inches behind him. Remus did the same on the right side. Then the twins took their positions a few feet behind with George on the left and Fred on the right. Tonks and Wesley were next, soaring up so they were a few feet behind the twins. Finally Moody flew up so that he took point as the rear guard. That left only Harry, Luna and Draco on the ground. The formation provided enough room for the teens to fit comfortably in the middle.

"Are you sure you can handle this sort of broom Luna?" Draco asked, slightly mocking her.

Luna didn't pick up on the jibe or if she did chose to ignore it. "We shall find out."

"Enough talking you three," Moody growled, "Get up here now!"

Harry mounted his broom; he would be on the left. Luna was going to be in the middle and Draco on the right. The three teens lined up so that they would end up in the middle of the guard. They kicked off and shot high into the air. The three of them had to pull up tightly on their brooms just to stop their ascent. When they looked around they realized that the other order members were nowhere to be seen. Harry looked around and saw the others rising higher to catch up with them. They had completely overshot the formation.

"Good idea!" Moody praised. "The higher we are the less chance of being seen!"

Draco leaned forward on his broom so that he could look at Harry. "He thinks we did that on purpose?!"

Harry shook his head and glanced down at his broom. It was more responsive than he had thought. "Let's move!" Kingsley called from the front.

The three front guards jolted forward. Harry, Draco and Luna tried to follow as best as they could at first. It took a minute or two for them to get used to controlling the brooms. The guy at the shop wasn't kidding when he said that the Nimbus had sensitive turning. All it took to turn the brooms was small flick of the wrist. Once they got used to the controls it was just like a dream for them. The ride was so smooth that it felt like they were floating on a cloud. Harry craned his neck forward to see how his two companions were doing. Draco had an anxious grin on his face. Harry could tell that he wanted to go off on his own and see what the Nimbus Midnight could really do. He wanted to do the same. Luna on the other hand looked completely serene on the broom. It was almost like the broom was a part of her; she was a natural.

The flight was going by flawlessly. The wind whipped by them in an almost comforting manner. It wasn't until they reached London that the nice flight turned dangerous. The group was coming up on Big Ben when George thought he saw something on his left. At first he thought that it was nothing. But then he was able to make them out, even through the clouds. Two figures on brooms were closing in on them.

"I see something on our left side," he called over the wind. "Two people on brooms, coming in slowly!"

"Don't do anything!" Moody called. "They may just be out for a ride!"

"I'm not so sure that they-ARRRGH!" George cried in pain. A curse struck him hard in his right arm!

"George!" Harry grabbed George's shoulder to keep him steady on his broom.

There was another cry of pain from behind him, this one sounded more feminine. "Tonks got hit!" Wesley called.

"Keep in formation! I'll distract them!" Bill pushed his broom forward and made a sharp turn. He drew his wand and shot straight on at their attackers, firing curses as he went.

Tonks called for him to come back and Fred tried to follow after his older brother. "Stay in formation!" Kingsley shouted. "He can handle it!"

Harry turned to see how Bill was faring. Green killing curses were shooting straight at the redhead. Harry tried to call out but there was no need. Bill barrel rolled so that the curses flew just over him. "Incoming!" Harry shouted.

George rose a couple feet in the air so that the first curse shot under him. With near impossible reflexes Harry grabbed Luna and lowered her head with his so that the curses flew over them. Draco laid flat on his broom and Fred leaned back. The remaining curse shot over Draco and flew just in front of Fred's face. They had managed to dodge all of the curses and the collided harmfully with Big Ben. As they sped off Harry looked over his shoulder one last time to see Bill swerving in and out of the attackers. It seemed like slow going with the injuries to two of the members. After what seemed like countless hours they arrived at the location #12 Grimmauld Place. The group landed and started to follow Kingsley. After the attack they had kept their wands drawn and were prepared.

"Here." Moody walked over to Luna and Draco. He took out two pieces of paper and hand one to each of them. "Read and remember them."

Draco and Luna read the pieces of paper to themselves. _The headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix lies at #12 Grimmauld Place. _After reading the papers they suddenly caught on fire and curled into black ash. The two teens were wondering what was happening. All of a sudden a large manor appeared in front of them out of thin air. It looked a little run down on the outside. Some of the paint was chipping and cobwebs seemed to have taken over some of the windows. Moody ushered them to hurry for the house.

"That was wicked," Draco muttered. He picked up his trunk and broom and followed the others.

The group of wizards continued towards the house and walked through the front door. As soon as they walked into the dimly lit hall they were accosted by Molly Weasley. "It's about time you all got back. I was worried sick!" Her eyes shifted around the group and saw that Fred and Tonks were both favoring their sides. What caught her attention the most was that her oldest child was missing? "What happened to you all?!" She rushed over to check on George. "Where is Bill?!"

"We were attacked Molly," Remus answered. "Bill stayed behind to distract them while we made a break for it." He said all of this in a regretful tone.

Molly paled considerably at the mention that her son had stayed behind. Harry felt an overwhelming sense of guilt. If they all hadn't come to escort him then none of this would have happened. He wanted to say something but luckily Fred and George stepped up to comfort their mother.

"And look at you," she whispered in shock. "Arms all banged up."

George shook his head. "Don't worry about me mum. Just a bruise."

Fred nodded with agreement. "And don't worry about Bill. He's more stubborn than we are."

"Molly," Remus placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, "I'm sure the kids are hungry." The other order members turned and walked slowly into the parlor. "Why don't you go and cook them something?" He knew that this would provide her with a distraction.

Molly nodded and watched Remus follow the others into the parlor. Tonks walked by her and placed a hand on her shoulder. She tried to give Molly a reassuring smile but she too looked like she was very upset. When Harry looked at her she appeared to be on the edge of tears. When Tonks left them in the hall, Mrs. Weasley turned to face the kids. She put on a false smile that the others were able to easily see through.

"Harry," she said. She gazed upon the raven haired boy as if he were her own son. "Are you alright dear? You look a little pale." She turned to Luna and Draco. "You look pale to Luna dear and Draco you to."

"I'm always pale," Draco argued.

"No no. This simply won't do. Come and get something proper to eat." Remus' idea of a distraction seemed to work very well. Now she was muttering about how kids these days don't eat properly anymore.

She led them to the kitchen. As soon as they entered the kitchen Harry was immediately accosted by Hermione. The brunette flung herself at Harry and threw her arms around his neck. "Thank Merlin! I was starting to worry!"

"Relax Hermione," he soothed, running a hand up and down her back. "We're all fine." Though his thoughts suddenly drifted to Bill.

"Sit down dears. I can make some sandwiches; it's too late to do anything else."

Luna sat down and smiled. "That would be wonderful Mrs. Weasley."

The teens sat down at the kitchen table and leaned back in their chairs. "So who is staying at the headquarters?" Harry asked curiously.

"Ron and Ginny were staying here," Hermione answered. "But they left last night. I don't think that they wanted to be around when we came back."

Harry hung his head slightly. "I kind of thought that they wouldn't stay around."

"Fleur is gone to. She left almost a week ago for France. So it's just me, Mrs. Weasley and Remus staying here. Bill and Tonks stay here when they aren't at work. And the others come and go."

Harry nodded in understanding. There was a moment of silence as Mrs. Weasley placed a plate of sandwiches in front of Luna, Harry and Draco. Harry immediately started to eat, he was hungry and he was tired. Luna started to eat as well but in a more refined manner. Draco didn't even bother to try and start eating. Something was bothering him.

"Is there something wrong dear?"

Draco shook his head and glanced up at Mrs. Weasley. "Why are you being so nice to me?" This question seemed to garner the attention of the others. "You do know that your son and I hate each other. Right?"

Mrs. Weasley shook her head. "I don't expect Ron to get along with everyone," she said. "Besides you did save Harry and Luna."

Harry placed his sandwich back on the plate and swallowed. "Mrs. Weasley?"

"Yes Harry?" She asked. She sat down next to Hermione and wiped her hands on her apron.

"It's nothing personal against your family you know." Molly gave Harry an obviously confused look. "Me choosing Draco and Luna over Ron and Ginny." A look of comprehension flashed over the motherly face. "What I have to do is very important. Draco and Luna have done more for me and they are a much greater help in what I have to do."

Mrs. Weasley smiled. "Harry my dear. Friends are expected to have falling outs. And not everyone stays friends forever." Harry gave her a slow nod. "Now you finish eating, then it's off to bed with the four of you!" She stood up and walked around, cleaning the kitchen with various spells.

The teens stayed in the kitchen and said very little while they ate. Draco seemed distracted by more than the kindness that Mrs. Weasley had shown him. Harry on the other hand was distracted by a multitude of thoughts. He was worried about Bill that was for certain. After all it was sort of his fault that Bill had even come along in the first place. He was also a little worried about Luna; the young blond hadn't said a single word to him since his refusal to say something to help his relatives. Hermione and Luna were more than willing to carry on a conversation. Though Hermione often got annoyed when Luna brought creatures that she was sure never even existed. By the time they had finished eating Mrs. Weasley had left the kitchen.

"I guess we should give them the tour?" Hermione asked Harry.

Harry snapped out of his stupor and nodded. "Sure."

They led Hermione and Draco into the parlor. But before they could say anything they caught sight of Tonks sitting on the couch. She looked like she was half asleep. Her legs were curled up under her and she was resting her head in her hand.

"Tonks, are you okay?" Harry asked.

The auror looked up, her hair turning from a light brown to a deep purple. "Harry? I'm fine." She yawned and leaned back. "I'm just waiting for Bill to get back."

"I'm surprised Mrs. Weasley isn't waiting with you," Hermione replied. She took a seat next to Tonks on the couch.

"Would you like some company?" Luna asked politely.

Tonks smiled and nodded at her. "That would be nice."

The five of them stayed up talking with one another and keeping each other company. The only ones that seemed to be staying out of the conversation were Harry and Draco. Whenever they were asked a question they would simply nod. Harry turned to Draco and regarded him with a confused expression.

"What's going on?" He asked in a whisper.

Draco shook his head. "Just thinking. It's not important."

Harry was about to respond but there was a sudden rush at the front door. They heard it open, then slam closed, and the sound of something collapsing on the ground. Tonks was the first one on her feet. She leapt over the back of the couch, landing quite gracefully in Harry's opinion, and bolted for the door. Harry followed after her followed by Draco and the girls. When they reached the hall they saw Tonks kneeling next to an injured Bill Weasley. She had been trying to ask him what happened but he was too out of it to form a response. Hermione told the others that she was going to go and get Mrs. Weasley. Luna went to go get whatever, leaving Tonks and the boys alone.

"Bill! Just say something please!" She cried.

"Tonks, let's get him up," Harry said. "Draco I need a little help."

Harry and Draco each grabbed an arm and hefted Bill up off of the ground. They took him into the parlor and set him down on the couch. Bill groaned in pain and the others were finally able to see why. Across his mid-section was a huge diagonal cut that traveled down to his thigh. His shirt and pants alike were caked in blood. New scratches opened up on his face and the sweat that was pouring down his forehead was stinging something terrible. The second door that led out into the hall burst open. Molly hurried in followed by Remus, the twins and Hermione. Molly immediately went to the head of the couch to check on her son. She would have sat next to him on the couch but Tonks was already there. The young auror was busy trying to get his shirt up so that she could see the extent of his injuries.

Molly was too busy panicking to be of any help. The twins ran up and grabbed their mother to pull her away from the couch. Remus took her place and gave Bill a concerned glance. "Bill, are you okay?!" He asked.

Bill's eyes shot open. He tried to sit up but was eased back down to the couch by Tonks. "Wh-Wh- where…"

"You're safe," Tonks replied. She gently stroked Bills flame red hair in an attempt to calm him down.

"N-no. Harry…"

Harry jumped forward. "Bill, I'm fine. We're all here."

"What happened out there?" Draco asked.

"Were they Death Eaters? Were you followed?" Remus asked quickly.

Tonks glared up at Remus. "Let's wait until he can actually talk!"

"No…follow…" Bill groaned. He took a deep breath and said, "Shot them down."

Fred laughed. "That's our Bill!" Molly gained enough composure to give Fred a whack on the head.

Luna walked back in the room with a rag and Draco's potion case. "I got some healing potions," she said. She reached into the case and pulled out a vial of glowing blue liquid. She drenched the cloth in the liquid and handed it to Tonks.

First Tonks cleaned the blood off from around the wound and then started dabbing the cloth at the wound itself. Bill hissed in pain and she scolded him for being a baby. Remus pulled another vial out of the case and forced Bill to drink it. Luna walked around to the front of the couch with another cloth and gently started cleaning Bill's face. Harry and Draco turned to one another and gave a significant look. What had happened out there between Bill and their attackers was a complete mystery. They not only had no idea who the attackers were but they weren't even sure what their agenda was. If they were Death Eaters they could have been after Harry or Draco for his betrayals. If they even were Death Eaters.

Bill moaned and turned to face Remus. "They weren't Death Eaters. I don't know who they were," he said slowly. "Sorry."

Tonks shook her head. "You didn't do anything wrong."

Remus smiled and gave Bill a pat on the shoulder. "You did good Bill. You didn't fail at all." Remus turned to face the others and nodded. "I think it's time for bed everyone. You too Molly." Molly didn't even bother to argue, as Remus' tone left very little room for it. "We'll stay with Bill and summon Poppy to help us."

Molly did as she was told and ushered the others out of the room. Fred and George each patted Bill on the shoulder as they walked out of the room. Hermione and Luna gave Bill their wishes for him to get better soon. Draco and Harry on the other hand stuck around for a second. Finally Draco left the room after coming to his own conclusion. Harry wasn't just keeping his eyes on Bill but Tonks as well. She had a look in her eyes that Harry knew all too well. The only thing on her mind right now was the young man in front of her.

Harry ran after the others, grabbing his trunk on the way. He hauled it up the stairs and followed Draco into the room that they were going to share. The room was the same one that he had been staying the past few times he had come to Grimmauld. Harry threw his trunk on the ground next to one of the beds. Draco ran a hand through his hair and walked over to look at himself in the mirror. Neither of them knew what to say to the other. The two of them had so many things running through their head that they didn't know how to start.

"Who were they?" Harry asked suddenly.

Draco turned around and looked at him. "I have no idea."

Just as they were about to continue, Luna and Hermione walked into the room. "How is Mrs. Weasley doing?" Harry asked.

"She is alright. Fredrick and George are with her," Luna replied. She walked over to the bed that Harry was near and sat down.

"I want to know who those people were that attacked you," Hermione said. She turned her head to glare at Draco. "Maybe we should ask Malfoy?"

Draco rolled his eyes. "Fuck off Granger," he muttered.

"Play nice you two," Harry groaned.

"Now be fair Hermione," Luna soothed. "Bill said that it wasn't Death Eaters."

"Even if they were, there's no way I would have them throwing killing curses while I was in the way."

"You are a coward," Hermione said with a nod.

Draco reached for his wand but Harry was able to step in the way. "Enough!" He said angrily. "Look. Can we not do this tonight? I just want to get some sleep."

The Slytherin groaned and stopped reaching for his wand. "Fine. Is there a shower in that bathroom over there?" he asked.

Harry looked over to the door and nodded. "Yeah."

Draco grabbed some clothes and walked towards the bathroom. Before he walked in he gave Hermione one lazy contemptuous glare, then closed the door. Hermione shook her head and growled angrily. "That boy gets up my nose. Come on Luna, we should get to bed."

"Um, I just want to speak with Harry for a moment," she said. Hermione nodded and walked out of the room, leaving them alone. Luna waited until she heard the water of the shower running. She stood up and walked over to Harry. "Are you alright Harry?" Luna asked.

"What? Now you care?" He asked angrily.

"What do you mean?" Luna asked innocently.

Harry walked over to the bed and lay down. "You avoid me all day and now you want to ask if I'm okay?" he asked in annoyance.

Luna hung her head in disappointment. She had only wanted to help. "I-I'm sorry," she whispered. "I just wanted to know if you were okay. I'll just go now." She turned around and walked sullenly towards the door.

Harry groaned. Now he felt guilty about more than just one thing. "Luna wait!" The young blond stopped at the door and waited for him to speak. "I'm not mad at you. I just feel guilty about what happened to Bill."

"That wasn't your fault. He made his own choice." She turned around and walked back to the bed. She lay down next to Harry and turned to look at him. "He did what he thought was best, it wasn't your fault."

"…Thanks."

There was another long silence between the two of them. Luna gazed intently at him, as if she were trying to see into his soul. "Harry, what else is bothering you?" She asked gently.

"Do you remember when you said you didn't want to be the type of person to that would use the Unforgivables? Or earlier today when you said I should help my relatives and I didn't want to?" Luna nodded and he paused in asking his question. "Do you think that that makes me a bad person?"

Luna smiled at him. Instead of saying anything at first she simply gave him a hug. "You are not a bad person Harry. I know you want to learn the Unforgivables in order to protect us. And…I can't blame you for hating your relatives. They were terrible to you." She nuzzled her head into his chest. "You are a good person Harry James Potter. Don't ever tell yourself different." She leaned up and smiled at him.

Harry had no choice but to smile back. Whenever Luna smiled it became infectious. "Thank you Luna," he whispered. "I really needed that. You better get to bed. We have a long day tomorrow."

Luna forced a smile and stood up. "Okay." It was going to be weird for her to sleep without Harry. "I...guess we'll see each other in the morning. Goodnight Harry."

"Goodnight Luna." He watched her skip out of the room and close the door behind her.

"She is right you know." Harry turned his head to look at Draco. "About you being a good guy and all." He walked past Harry and sat on the bed opposite of him. He dried his platinum blond hair slowly.

Harry sniffed and resumed watching the ceiling. "Yeah I guess. I just can't get over the idea that, I'm this really terrible person. And that Luna is so much better than I am."

"Well that's because she is," Draco laughed. "She's the nicest damn person I've ever met."

"We have such a way to go to get anywhere near her."

"True," Draco agreed. "Just remember. Without people like us, there would be no need for people like her." He laid back on his bed and closed his eyes.

Harry smirked and threw his pillow at Draco. It hit him square in the face. "Now I have a second pillow." Draco grabbed the pillow and put it under his head.

"Oh bugger!" Harry cried and Draco smirked.

"And the Slytherin wins again!"

**End Chapter**

* * *

**Well that is the end of that chapter. That took a little longer to write than I thought. Reviews would be greatly appreciated, let me know what you thought. See ya next time!**


	11. Chapter 11:Glad You're Here

**Now that the trio resides at Grimmauld Place they will be able to go through even more rigorous training. What will happen now? I'd also like to clear up that I haven't read Deathly Hollows yet and I may not read it at all.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.**

* * *

**Chapter 11: Glad You're Here**

Rays of sunlight infiltrated the curtains of #12 Grimmauld Place and crept slowly out over the dusty floors. Like a creature with long tendrils, they crept towards the couch like a predator sneaking up on its prey. The small source of light illuminated the figure that still lay on the couch. His red hair shone softly in the sunlight. Unfortunately, the rest of him didn't agree with the attacking sun. Bill Weasley groaned in pain and covered his eyes with the back of his arm. He took a few calming breaths and removed his hand from his face. His brown eyes opened slowly and he had to wait a second for them to become adjusted to the light. When they did he tried to get up but there was a sharp pain in his abdomen. The pain forced him back to the couch. He tried to get up again when a voice suddenly interrupted him.

"You're finally awake," said a tired voice.

Bill turned his head to the right and found a pair of glassy purple eyes staring back at him. "Tonks?" He asked.

Tonks yawned and straightened her back so that she was sitting up. "Wotcher Bill," she yawned tiredly.

"Have…have you been there all night?"

The auror nodded. "I wanted to make sure that you would be okay."

Bill smiled at the younger girl's kindness. Tonks had always been there for him in the past and she was here for him now. "Are you okay? Wesley told me that you got hit last night." He leaned up to check her arm but she forced him back down.

"I'm fine. You're the one that almost bled to death on the floor last night!" All of a sudden her hair turned a dark red as a warning. Bill had known her long enough to know that meant she was angry. "What the bloody hell were you thinking anyways?!" She almost shouted.

"Shh!" He hissed. "You might wake the others up."

"Some of us are already awake mate." Bill and Tonks turned around to see Harry and Draco standing in the parlor door. Both of them were sweating and they appeared to be out of breath. "We've been up for awhile now."

"What are you two doing up so early?" Bill asked groggily.

Draco straightened up and ran a hand through his sweat soaked hair. "We get up early every morning to run and workout."

"How early is early?" Tonks asked worriedly.

"Early enough to see the two of you curled up on the couch together," Draco groaned in disgust.

Harry shook his head. "Come on now Draco. I think that the two of them looked really cute next to each other."

Bill blushed lightly and scratched the back of his head in a nervous fashion. Tonks blushed and her hair changed colors rapidly. "What have you done to him Draco?!" She asked.

Draco shrugged. "I haven't done anything to him. Don't pin this on me." He smirked and shook his head.

"I think that we should go and get something to eat," Harry suggested. He noticed Bill and Tonks getting ready to curse the two of them.

Draco looked over at the two of them and nodded in agreement with Harry. The two of them hurried towards the kitchen before they had the chance at becoming hexed into a million pieces. When they entered Mrs. Weasley was bustling around the kitchen preparing the mornings breakfast. She turned around and smiled at the boys.

"Hello boys," she said cheerfully. "How did you two sleep last night?"

"Miserable," they answered simultaneously.

Before she could say anything more on the subject the door swung open again. This time Bill walked in being supported by Tonks. Molly's reaction to her son's arrival was instantaneous. She abandoned all of the cooking and immediately rushed over to embrace Bill in a great hug. The young man had to suck in his breath to keep from crying out in pain. He didn't want to tell his mother to stop hugging him. On the other hand the pain that the hug was putting him in was almost unbearable. Seeing his distress Harry and Tonks jumped to his aid.

"Molly why don't you give Bill a chance to breathe?" Tonks asked jokingly.

Harry nodded in agreement. "Yeah. Why don't you sit down and I'll finish making breakfast," he suggested.

"No no," Molly replied. She dried her tears off on her apron and shook her head. "You all sit down and I'll finish the breakfast." The matron of the Weasley went back to the task of cooking breakfast with renewed vigor.

The others just shrugged and took a seat at the table. Bill sat on the opposite side of the table across from Harry and Tonks sat across from Draco. There was a tense silence between the four of them while they waited for breakfast. No one knew exactly why things had suddenly gotten so tense. Was it because of the way that Harry and Draco had teased the older witch and wizard? No that couldn't be it. They probably suffered much worse at the hands of the twins. There was only one other thing that Harry could think of. It was because he and Ron weren't exactly friends anymore. Bill didn't know how o react towards him because of this and in turn Tonks didn't know how to react to Bill. If they were going to get anywhere Harry was going to have to be the one to start.

"Bill?" Bill looked up from the table at Harry. "What happened between Ron and I-"

Bill shook his head and raised a hand to cut him off. "Don't worry about any of that Harry," he said. "I know why you did what you did. I commend you for being able to do it."

A look spread over Malfoy's face. He just couldn't figure these people out. "Huh?"

"It takes a real man to make decisions like that."

"Thank you Bill," Harry said with a smile.

"You guys are still coming to the wedding right?" He asked, curiously.

Harry smiled. "Like I said before, I wouldn't miss it for the world."

"Draco."

Draco looked up from where he was looking and nodded. "If you still want me."

"Of course. There's a lot that I want to talk to you about."

"I could say the same about you."

The two stared at one another intensely but without any animosity. There was something going on between the two of them. Almost like they were in a contest to find out how much they could learn about the other. Then, knowing the two of them, they would use the information against one another. He raised an eyebrow and gave Tonks a curious glance. Judging by the confused look on her face she didn't know what was going on either. Mrs. Weasley suddenly walked around the table placing an abundance of eggs, bacon, and toast on the plates in front of them. Now that some of the tension had been released conversation around the table was much more lighthearted. Draco smirked at something that Bill had said about the ministry.

"So how is it?" Mrs. Weasley interrupted.

"Why do you think that I always come back here Molly?" Tonks asked brightly. "Your food is the best."

Draco nodded. "I have to agree. I don't think that I've ever had food made by house elves that was this good."

"House elves?" Molly asked. "Didn't your mother ever cook?"

"My mother?" Draco asked with a laugh. There was a small reminiscent twinkle in his silver eyes. "No. My mother had many talents, but cooking was not one of them."

Molly smiled. "What about you Harry dear?" She asked in concern, as most of his food lay untouched on his plate.

"Harry hardly ever eats anything." Harry turned his head around and saw Luna walking into the room. She was dressed simply in a pale blue skirt and a matching blouse. "It is very worrisome." She took a seat next to Harry.

"How did you sleep dear?" Molly asked, getting up to get her a plate of food.

"I can answer that," Hermione replied. She walked into the kitchen dressed in a pair of jeans and a white t-shirt. "Miserably."

"Why hasn't anyone gotten any sleep?"

"Nightmares," Harry, Luna, and Draco answered together.

Bill hissed. Thinking that he was in pain Tonks placed a hand on his shoulder. Bill reached into robes and pulled out a small circular mirror. Harry was able to recognize it as a device for communicating with other wizards. He excused himself from the table and walked over to the far corner of the kitchen. The others tried their best to listen in as Bill started a conversation with some unknown person. When he was done there was a very sour expression on his face.

"I have to go," he said suddenly.

Molly set down Hermione's plate and glared at her son. "And where is it that you have to go?"

Bill sighed. "There was a break in at Gringotts. Whoever did it left some powerful curses in their wake. So they need a curse breaker."

"What was taken?"

"That's what I don't get," Bill stated with a perplexed look. "There was nothing of value in the vault that was broken in to."

"Then you don't have to go," Tonks said firmly. She jumped up from her seat and blocked Bill's path to the door.

"She's right dear," Mrs. Weasley said. "If it is nothing of importance then you don't need to go in."

"I have no choice," Bill groaned. "They called me in." He tried to walk past Tonks but she gave him a light pat where he was injured. This made him double over in pain and almost fall to the ground completely. "What the ruddy hell was that for?"

"If you can't even take that then you are not going to work today!" Tonks' hair turned a deep red and her eyes flashed crimson. "One mistake and you're done for! I don't think Fleur would appreciate you dying before the wedding! They have several curse breakers, so you are going back on that couch!" Tonks grabbed him by his shoulder and dragged him out of the kitchen and into the parlor.

Everyone that was still in the kitchen was left speechless. The first one to speak was Harry. "She is pretty damn scary!"

When they were done eating the four teens had reconvened in the room that Draco and Harry shared. With Bill's injuries it was very obvious that they wouldn't be starting their training today. So they went to the next best thing. Discussing the Horcruxes. They hadn't made too much progress in that area, but any progress was better than none at all.

"First we should try and make a list of the Horcruxes that we know exist," Hermione stated rationally.

"Well there was the diary that was destroyed by Harry in the Chamber of Secrets," Luna said. Hermione wrote it down and placed an x over it.

"Then there was Marvolo Gaunts' ring," Harry replied. This was also written down with an x over it.

"We still haven't found Slytherin's locket," Hermione replied. She wrote this one down on the list and put a question mark next to it. "What are the other ones?"

There was a long pause before Draco was able to think of. "The snake."

"What?" Harry asked.

"The snake," Draco repeated. "I love a good serpent as much as the next guy, but Voldemort is overprotective of that snake. I'm willing to bet my hand it's one of the Horcruxes."

"I never actually thought of that," Harry replied. "Put Nagini down as one of the Horcruxes."

"Okay, we have four of the Horcruxes." She wrote down something else on the list. "And we need Hufflepuff's cup."

"So that just leaves something from Gryffindor and Ravenclaw. Do you have any idea what Ravenclaw's item could be?" He asked Luna.

Luna shook her head. "There isn't too much know about Rowena Ravenclaw's personal life. Only the professional side of her life is accurately recorded."

"And that puts us all the way back to square one," Draco groaned. He leaned back on his bed and groaned. "What do we do now?"

"The logical thing," Hermione answered. "We research each of the Hogwarts founders separately and find out what their Horcruxes could be. Then we think about where they could be hidden."

"I think that we should work on our training some," Draco replied.

Harry groaned. "I would agree with you. But I'm not sure if there's a good place in here to train."

"We could look for one," Luna offered. "We never did get to finish our tour last night."

"I think that we should," Draco replied. "I want to know what's with that covered painting in the hall."

Hermione groaned in annoyance. She knew that they just wanted to put off doing any actual work on finding the Horcruxes. At least that's what the boys were doing. She was sure that Luna really did want to tour the house. Well if they did find a place to train, she supposed that would be good. Harry and Hermione led the other two around the house. They showed them the various rooms of the house from the room where the tapestry of the Black family used to hang to the bedrooms of the house. Harry led them up to the upper floors and stopped on one of the landings. They were outside a door when they heard a shuffling down the hall. Their questions were soon answered when an old house elf appeared, dressed in ragged clothes. He appeared to not even notice them.

"Filthy mudbloods and blood traitors," it mumbled in a bull frog like voice. He shuffled by them like they were ghosts that he couldn't see. "They hang around all day soiling the mistress's house."

"Hello Kreacher," Hermione greeted. Draco and Luna were just left to stare blankly at Kreacher.

Kreacher turned around and to look at the group of teens. He pretended like it was the first time that he was seeing them. "The filthy mudblood speak to Kreacher. Always speaking to Kreacher like she is his friend. If mistress could see this now," he moaned.

"Hello Kreacher," Luna said. She knelt down and offered a hand to Kreacher. The bedraggled house elf backed away as if afraid of being attacked. "My name is Luna Lovegood."

"This one is a pureblood," he mumbled. His large eyes drifted up to Harry. "But she is a blood traitor. Just like the redheaded brats." He turned around and began muttering again, "Blood traitors, worse than the muggles and mudbloods."

"What a strange house elf," Luna commented.

Draco found it rich that Luna would call someone else strange. "I like him."

"You would," Hermione muttered.

Harry shook his head. "Ignore him. There's something behind this door that you guys will like." Harry paused for a second before opening the door. "Well Luna will. Draco you might want to stand back a little."

Harry opened the door to the room and led them inside. Sitting over in the corner of the room was a large feathery creature known as a hippogriff. Hippogriffs had the bodies, hind legs and tails of horses. The front however, legs wing and head resembled that of a giant eagle. The talons on the front legs were about six inches in length. The hippogriff looked dangerous but was quite docile unless riled. Just as Harry said, Draco backed up against the wall. He had had a fear of hippogriffs ever since he was attacked by the one that Hagrid had in his third year. Hermione snickered and Luna looked politely confused.

"Why the bloody hell is that thing in the house?" He asked.

"Relax Malfoy," Harry laughed. "Buckbeak, wake up!" The creature lifted its head revealing blood red eyes. It reared its head back in excitement at seeing Harry. Harry bowed to the creature and walked up to pet his head. "How have you been?"

"You mean that's the same one?!"

"Of course it is," Luna replied. She walked up to Buckbeak and without bowing, knelt down to pet his head.

"You can tell the difference between hippogriffs?" Hermione asked incredulously.

Luna blinked and looked up at Hermione. "Of course. Can't you?" She asked as if everyone had this school.

Harry resisted the urge to laugh at the stunned look on Hermione's face. Instead he turned and smiled warmly at the blond that was sitting next to him on the floor. The two of them absently pet the feathery creature. This brought a smile to Hermione's face; it was obvious that Harry had feelings for the blond that went beyond that of friendship. Unfortunately, Harry was dim to admit it and most likely Luna would be too frightened to say anything. If there was any chance of them getting together, then she may have to interfere just a little.

After leaving Buckbeak's room the three of them decided to check out the basement. Even Harry had never been down there before. The steps that led down into the basement reminded Harry of the stone steps that led down to the dungeons at Hogwarts. The corners of the walls were lined with cobwebs and it was dark. When they reached the bottom of the steps there was an old looking door with a rusty looking circular handle. Harry opened the door and led the others into the dimly lit room. Four wands were raised into the air and beams of light cut through the darkness.

"This is perfect," Harry said with a smirk.

"So what are we going to do about this then?" Draco asked, walking back up the stairs.

Harry turned to look at him. "We can't use the room for training just yet. We need to set up some lights and some precautions so we don't get killed."

"Since we have nothing else why not research some of the Horcruxes?" Hermione asked.

"You just want to do that because it has the word research in it," Harry joked as they reached the top of the stairs.

"I want to research this because it's important for the war!" The look on her face was the same one she gave him when he put off doing his homework. "You aren't even taking this seriously!"

"Hermione, I was just joking," he said solemnly. The two of them looked each other dead in the eye. "I agree with Fred and George. We need to be able to joke in order to keep things bearable." He opened the door and walked back out into the hall.

Luna smiled at Hermione and followed Harry back out into the hall. "Proud of yourself Granger?"

"Shut your mouth Malfoy!" She sapped. "After everything that you have done to Harry. What gives you the right to say anything to me?!"

"What gives me the right?" Draco asked silkily. He shrugged and walked out of the room.

Hermione fumed and followed him out of the basement stairwell and finally caught up to him in the kitchen. "Don't walk away from me Draco Malfoy!" She growled angrily.

"Don't you dare talk to me like that Granger!" He wheeled around with an angry expression on his face.

"You still never gave me an answer to my question!"

"You want to know what gives me the right. Let's start out with this!" He walked around the table and sat down with a smug look on his face. "What have you been doing with your whole summer?"

Hermione's eyes widened slightly. "Well…I…I guess that I've been coming…here."

Draco nodded. "And what has Harry been doing? Training. Training, taking care of someone, and worrying about how he is going to survive the war." Draco stood up and strode slowly toward the brunette. "Me, his old enemy, helped him train while one of his best friends didn't even help." He shook his head and made a tsking sound.

"But I jus-"

Draco's glare hardened. "If you want to help us, then help us. If not, then stay the hell out of our way." There was a slight twinge in his left forearm. He groaned and shook his head. "Tell them I have a meeting to get to."

Hermione took a small step back and found her back pressed against one of the kitchen walls. This was the second time that he had managed to get her cornered. In the past she would have been able to do something about it. Something was different in the young Slytherin now. Draco was more fearsome than he used to be and seemed to be more dangerous than ever. Had it been Harry and Luna's influence that caused such a big change? Or was it something else?

"Harry?" Luna asked. She walked into his and Draco's room to see him lying back on his bed. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine. I just can't believe that Hermione said that to me."

"Well she is just a little anxious." Luna walked over to the bed and sat down next to him. "She just really wants to find the Horcruxes."

"So do I," Harry nearly shouted. He calmed down instantly. He wasn't mad at Luna, he wasn't even mad at Hermione. He was mad at himself for not having everything figured out. "I really am trying you know?"

"What do you mean?"

"Finding the Horcruxes," Harry replied quietly. Harry turned over on his side so that he was able to face Luna. "I really do want to find them. I just don't know what to do anymore." He finished in a hopeless tone.

"I know that you do." The blond reached down and gently ran her fingers through his hair. "You can't expect everything to come to you right away." Harry nodded blandly at her. "You are trying your best. No one can ask anymore of you than that."

"Then why do they?"

"Because they are frightened. I think that we are all a little frightened."

"I feel like everyone expects me to set things straight. And I feel so alone because of it."

Luna smiled sweetly at her friend. "As long as I'm here you'll never have to feel that way again." Harry's frown suddenly turned to a small smile before he burst out in laughter. Luna looked at him curiously. "Did I say something funny?"

"No," Harry said with shake of his head. "It's just I remember the first day that you came to stay at my house. I promised myself that I was going to take care of you." Luna blushed slightly but Harry didn't seem to notice. "And here you are, taking care of me."

"I guess that we have to take care of one another," Luna replied. _'After all the only thing that we have now is each other.'_ Luna felt a pair of arms around her waist and tensed up just a little bit.

"I'm glad that you're here Luna," he whispered. His grip on her tightened and he rested his head in her lap.

"So am I." Luna closed her eyes and a small smile appeared on her lips.

* * *

"Perhaps if Rookwood hadn't been caught infiltrating the ministry of magic would have been an easier task," said the high voice of Voldemort. A Death Eater in a large black cloak started to shake nervously. "Relax Rookwood. You served your time in Azkaban." 

"Speaking of Azkaban," Snape said in his drawl, "we still have several people in Azkaban. What do you want to do about them?"

"It would cost us quite a few casualties my lord," Bellatrix replied. She looked at Voldemort like a puppy vying for the attention of her master.

"True as that is," Lucius said, "I think that the extra manpower we could gain would be an advantage."

"What do you say on this Severus?" Voldemort asked his right hand.

Severus smiled slightly. "Far be it for me to agree with Bellatrix or Lucius." This earned him a glare from both parties. "But I agree with Lucius. Besides we still have our insiders."

Voldemort seemed to consider this for a moment before continuing. "It certainly deserves some consideration." His slit like red orbs shifted, landing on one of the younger members of the Death Eaters. "And what of you Draco? Have you managed to finally complete your task?"

Draco didn't even look up at the dark lord. He felt that if he did his resolve made fade too much. "Yes my lord. I have managed to gain the trust of Potter and his friends. But the mudblood still suspects me."

"She will be dealt with when the time comes," Voldemort replied. "So what news can you give me?"

Draco sighed heavily and rotated his shoulders. "Nothing my lord." Several of the Death Eaters sitting around the wooden table raised a questioning brow. "Regrettably, I am not that well trusted."

Voldemort's eyes narrowed even further, giving him an even more snakelike appearance. "You wouldn't be lying to me now. Would you Draco?"

A twinge went up and down the young Slytherin's spine. "Of course not. I would never betray you my lord."

"Not even to avenge your mother?" This garnered the attention and some small snickers from the others. Lucius and Snap however remained unaffected.

Draco's eyes widened slightly at the mention of his mother. "…No," answered Draco. "My mother was too weak, that's why she's dead." Lucius smirked viciously at his son.

"Shall we find out if that is true? Would you do the honors Severus?"

"Gladly," the potions master said. Before Draco could protest Snape jumped up and pulled out his wand, "Legilimens!"

Draco's eyes opened wide. He could feel Snape poking and prodding, trying to break down all of his mind's defenses. Draco pushed back against him to keep him from getting too far. Unfortunately, Snape was much more skilled at Legilimency than he was Occlumency. It didn't take much longer for his defenses to break under the pressure. He could feel all of his memories being revealed one by one. From his first broom ride, the first day at school and his first kiss. All trivial in his opinion. Then some of his more serious memories began to surface. Some of which involved Arianna, his mother, and even one that involved Harry and Luna. He had to stop this now before things got too serious.

"No," he muttered. "That's enough!" He cried as though her were in pain.

Snape regarded him coolly and broke his concentration. Draco collapsed against the table exhausted. "He doesn't know anything," Snape said coldly. "Apparently he's been wasting, his time."

Steely silver orbs met with onyx black eyes and they found themselves locked in a staring contest. For the rest of the meeting neither of them said too much. In fact Draco didn't say a single word. He just kept giving small hateful glances at Lucius that went unnoticed by most of the others. After the meeting he found himself sitting against a tree. Since a proper compound had yet to be found most their meetings had been taking place in forests or mountain caves. He wasn't waiting long before he was approached by a Death Eater. He was a tall young man with dark skin. He was handsome and had an edge about him.

"Malfoy," he greeted in a deep voice.

"Zabini," Draco nodded.

"I saw what happened in there. Snape was a bit rough on you."

"Not really. He actually took it pretty easy on me. If he had kept up anymore he could have seen everything."

"So then how are things going with Potter?" Blaise asked.

Draco shook his head. "Exactly. Like I said. Slow."

"You know I don't envy you Draco. Being stuck in that house with Potter and his foolish little friends."

Draco shrugged and stood back up on his feet. "I can't believe I'm saying this, but Potter and Lovegood aren't too bad. It's that bushy haired mudblood that's getting on my nerves."

"You still have to deal with Weasley's all day. That must be driving you insane."

"Actually I only have to deal with one Weasley most of the time. And he isn't that bad." Draco turned around to face his companion. "Does your dad still have his ministry connections?"

Blaise nodded. "He still has some of them. He isn't trusted that much anymore."

"I'm wondering if you could do me a favor?"

"What kind of favor?"

"I need your dad to get me all the information he can on Bill Weasley."

* * *

"I'm starting to worry about Draco." Harry, Hermione and Bill looked at the young blond. All of them were sitting in the parlor relaxing or reading various books. "He's been gone for a lot longer than usual." 

"Don't worry Luna," Harry replied. He gave her a small smile over the book he was reading. "Draco can handle it. He'll be fine."

"I agree." Mr. Weasley walked into the room carrying a cup of tea. He was followed closely by Mrs. Weasley. "Believe me; Lucius Malfoy would never raise an idiot. Something tells me that kid is too smart for his own good."

"There is something about him," Bill agreed. "I just can't figure out what it is."

Hermione sniffed indignantly. "There is something about him but I'm not sure that I would go looking for it."

"You two are going to have to learn to get along," Harry laughed.

"Are you sure that it's a good idea to continue to let him go to those meetings?" Molly asked. "What if he accidently let slip that he's friends with you?"

"That would be bad. But they would get suspicious if he didn't go at all." Harry wondered how it was possible for Mrs. Weasley to meet someone for one day and consider them like part of her family.

Suddenly there was a loud cry, like that of a warble, coming from upstairs. "I think that it's time to go upstairs and feed Buckbeak."

Luna smiled and stood up. "I'll go and do it."

"I'll come with you," Hermione replied. She stood up and stretched her back. "I could use a small break."

"A fresh mind is a productive mind." Luna skipped out of the room closely followed by Hermione.

"And I guess I should go and get dinner started. Come and give me a hand Arthur?"

"Of course dear."

With everyone out of the room that left just Bill and Harry. "You know come to think of it, Tonks has been gone for awhile to."

Harry stopped scribbling a note on a piece of paper and looked at Bill. "What is going on between the two of you?!" Harry asked loudly.

"What do you mean?" Bill asked curiously.

"You and Tonks. I mean I guess that you two have always been friendly, but now you're acting like…"

"What?"

"…Like you two are in love or something."

Bill blushed slightly. He shook his head, his ponytail flailing about. "I'm not in love with Tonks. I am marrying another woman, remember."

"I was just wondering if you remembered."

"What has Malfoy done to you?"

"I don't know," Harry laughed.

"The reason I'm acting like this is because Tonks and I used to be best friends."

"Used to?"

"It seems like an eternity ago. Tonks was only a year below me when we were in school. We used to be the best of friends. Then something happened and I moved to Egypt. Anyways we sort of fell apart after that. I know that it sounds pathetic, but I'm just trying to make up for lost time. I'm reall glad that she's here."

Harry smiled slightly. "I don't think that it's pathetic." There was a sound from upstairs that sounded like a hippogriff trying to get out and escape. "I better go and see what they are doing up there."

Bill groaned and leaned back on the couch. That was probably the dumbest thing that he had ever heard anyone say. Of course he wasn't in love with Tonks. He just wanted to make up for lost time. So what if she could still make him laugh or her scent of vanilla and cherry made him feel intoxicated. That didn't mean that he was in love with her. And so what if he was willing to risk his life to protect her or if she could make him feel better with just a couple of words. That didn't mean anything either. Before he could dwell anymore on it he heard someone else walk into the room. Bill looked up and found himself staring into the smug face of Draco Malfoy.

"Where are Harry and Luna?" He asked with a smirk.

"They're feeding Buckbeak," Bill answered. "What are you so happy about?" Bill asked heatedly.

"I found out some very interesting things about you Bill."

"Like what?" Bill asked incredulously.

Draco put his hands behind his head and flopped down on the chair. "Does anyone know that you spent three weeks in Azkaban?" Bill's eyes widened and a drop of sweat trickled from his forehead. "How about my cousin? Does she know about this?"

Bill shot forward so quickly that Draco couldn't even react. Before he knew it Bill had a firm grip on the front of his shirt and had pulled him to his feet. "You listen to me Draco!" He hissed. His canines were more prominent up close. "You can't tell anyone about this! Anyone! I…I'm not ready for them to know."

Draco was a little surprised by Bill's outburst but was otherwise left unfazed. "I-I won't tell anyone. That charge was complete bollocks."

"How did you find out anyways?" Bill asked, letting him go.

"I have my sources." There were some footsteps on the stairs and Bill looked pointedly at Draco. "I won't say anything. But you owe me."

"…Thanks."

Just then Harry and the girls walked into the parlor. "Luna can I just ask what you were thinking?" Harry asked with a laugh.

"I think that he's tired of being cooped up inside," Luna said innocently. "He wants to go out and stretch his wings."

Hermione tapped the two of them on the shoulder and pointed to Bill and Draco. "What's going on with the two of them?"

"Nothing," Draco replied.

"Yeah," Bill agreed.

"Okkaaayyyyy," Harry said disbelievingly. "Anything important happen at the meeting?"

"Nope," Draco replied. Then all of a sudden there was a curious look flashing across his face. "What is tired of being cooped up?"

"Buckbeak," Luna answered.

Draco went wide eyed and stepped back from the blond. "And you let it out? Why-why would you do that?!" Draco asked in an almost frantic manner.

Harry, Hermione and even Bill burst out laughing. "Relax mate, I go there before she could get him out of the room," Harry chuckled.

Draco swiped a hand across his forehead in relief. "Thank Merlin for that one." He plopped down on the couch and shook his head.

Tonks yawned as she opened the front door and stepped into the hall. Her first instinct was to yell out and see if anyone was there. Luckily she remembered that the portrait in the hall was woken up by noise. So instead she walked into the parlor. She was about to call out when she noticed that the room was occupied with sleeping teens. Hermione was knocked out in the chair, her head lolled to the side and a book was resting in her lap. Draco was leaning against the side of the chair fast asleep. Just like Hermione there was a book resting against him. Harry and Luna were curled up on the couch together. The two of them slept facing each other. Luna had her head buried in the crook of his shoulder and he had a protective arm draped over waist. Tonks smiled and had to quash the girly side of her that wanted to squeal.

"They fell asleep about a half hour ago." Tonks turned around and came face to face with Bill. "They've been studying almost all day."

"Poor kids. They have more to worry about than any teenager should." Tonks shook her head. "Should we take them upstairs?"

Bill shook his head. "No," he said in a forced whisper. "They need sleep. Besides, dreams are the only place where they can escape reality." He used his wand and levitated three blankets into the room. He draped one over Hermione, Draco and one over Luna and Harry. Tonks smiled at the softer side that Bill rarely showed. "Maybe they can be happy, even if it is just for a night."

**End Chapter**

* * *

**Alright everyone that is the end of chapter 11. Sorry it took so long, I got kind of lazy. Anyways I hope you enjoyed that chapter. I'm on vacation and the place I'm in might not have to good of an internet connection, ****so I will try my best to update ASAP. Anyways, review and let me know what you thought. **


	12. Chapter 12:Weapons Shopping

**The last chapter was mainly for fluff and didn't have too much impact with the exception of character development. Hopefully, this one will be a little more exhilarating.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. If I did...well I don't really know.**

* * *

**Chapter 12: Weapon Shopping**

**"Filthy mudbloods, scum of the earth! Blood traitors ****befouling the good name of the B****lack family!****" **Roared the voice of Sirius' late mother.

Harry and Draco flung open the door to their room and hurried down the hall. **"Who woke up the ****painting?****" **Harry shouted over the cries of 'mudblood!'

When Harry and Draco reached the top of the stairs they saw Tonks frantically trying to close the curtains back over Mrs. Black's portrait. **"We should have known!" **Draco shouted.

Tonks turned around, an apologetic smile in place on her face. **"Guys help me! Draco she likes you!**** Say something to help us out!"**

Draco rolled his eyes and walked down the stairs toward the painting. It was true that Draco managed to develop a special rapport with the deceased Black. It was most likely the hatred that they shared for muggles and mudbloods. The first time that she had awoken in Draco's presence she was able to tell that he was a pureblooded wizard. Of course this automatically endeared her to him. Somehow they had managed to hold a conversation that involved no yelling whatsoever. Since then Draco had been used in order to diffuse her temper whenever she felt fit to unleash it. He marched up to the painting and roughly threw the curtains open.

"**Mrs. Black!"** Draco shouted loudly. Still the portrait kept yelling its obscene curses out at the ones she considered below her. **"Walburga!" **On some occasions the two of them were even on a first name basis.

Mrs. Black stopped shouting her obscenities and looked down at Draco. A crooked smile spread over her elderly face. "Ah! Draco dear, it's so nice to be able to see you again," she said politely.

Tonks walked back to the top of the stairs so that she was standing next to Harry. "How does he get her to calm down like that?" She asked.

"I have no idea," Harry said with a shake of his head.

"I guess all purebloods think alike." They turned around and saw the girls walk out into the hall; both still dressed in their pajamas. Hermione was dressed in matching red pants and a shirt.

Luna was just behind her, stifling a yawn. She was dressed in purple pair of pajama pants with crescent moons plastered all over them and a matching top. "I don't think that that's a very fair assumption," she said lightly.

"I don't think that she meant you Luna, "Harry replied.

"Walburga, I agree with your notions and philosophies completely," Draco said. "But you can't just go and yell them out loud." The others turned back around, finding this conversation more interesting.

"Why the hell not," she asked brusquely. "This is my house!"

"Yeah, I know. But you have to tone it down. You and Kreacher are the only people here I can talk to. And the others are talking about getting rid of you if you don't calm down."

The portrait looked completely stunned by this revelation. She sighed in defeat and reluctantly nodded at Draco. "Very well. I suppose that I can go back to sleep for now."

Draco smirked. "Good. We'll talk a little later, I promise." He gave her his best false smile and closed the curtains. "And done." He turned heel and walked the rest of the way down the stairs.

Harry shook his head in disbelief and followed after him. "Amazing," he said. "Simply amazing. I will never understand how you do it."

"What can I say? I'm just really charming," Draco said smugly.

"About as charming as a goblin," Tonks scoffed.

Hermione smirked and nodded. "Yeah. You don't actually like her do you?" She asked as they entered the kitchen.

Draco shrugged and sat down at the table. "Not really. Her beliefs aren't so bad but otherwise she is just completely mental."

The others sat around the table except for Tonks who went to go and make coffee. "Tonks, why are you making coffee? You don't drink coffee," Harry argued.

Tonks shrugged as she went about preparing the coffee. "True but Bill likes coffee before he goes to work."

The way that Tonks said that reminded him of a way that a wife would say that about her husband. Luna leaned over and whispered, "I think that Nymphadora has feelings for William."

Hermione shook her head derisively. "I doubt that Luna. Tonks knows that Bill is getting married and besides she has feelings for Remus."

"I agree with Luna," Draco replied. Hermione gave him a look that clearly said, 'What a shock!' "I mean feelings can change."

"And what would you know?"

"Not too much. But any idiot can see the change."

"Shut up!" Harry hissed in a whisper. "Bill is coming!"

Bill walked into the room and gave the others a quick wave. "Hey everyone." Everyone nodded back at Bill and he walked over towards Tonks. "Any coffee?" He asked.

"Almost done Bill," Tonks said with a smile.

"Alright, that's my girl!" Bill exclaimed. Everyone at the table shared a quick but meaningful glance. "You know me better than anyone."

"Of course I do!" She replied in an almost flirtatious way. Again everyone at the table shared a stunned look. "So what time do you have to go to work?"

Harry and Draco turned to look at Hermione with identical smug smirks. "Now that is flirting," Harry said.

"…Flirting is harmless," she argued feebly. "Besides what about you Harry?"

"What about me?" Hermione made sure that Luna wasn't paying attention and then nodded in her direction. Harry rolled his eyes and shook his head. "I do not do that!" He said a little more loudly than he had meant to.

Everyone in the kitchen turned around to look at him after his little outburst. Harry blushed and shrunk down in his seat. After getting over his embarrassment, Harry went about preparing breakfast with the help of Hermione. Tonks wanted to help but thankfully Bill thought it was better to keep her away from the sharp objects. They had been without Mrs. Weasley for the last few days so Harry had to cook. Though Remus wasn't there most of time (he was acting as a liaison with the werewolves) when he was he helped cook as well. The years of living alone had taught him to cook for himself. The group of friends talked amiably while they ate. When Bill was done he excused himself from the table and stood to leave.

"This is fun but I gotta go to work," he said regrettably. His last couple of days going to work seemed to really annoy him.

"Don't have too much fun without us!" Tonks said sarcastically.

"I wouldn't dream of it," Bill said with a smile. Again the others shared an uncomfortable smile with one another.

"I'll follow you out Bill!" Harry called after him. Bill nodded to him and started walking into the hall, Harry following after him.

When Tonks turned around she saw the others staring at her. Hermione looked guilty, Luna had her normal dreamy expression, and Draco looked a little sinister. "Why is everyone looking at me like that?" She asked, feeling a little frightened.

All of them shook their head while giving her various stupid excuses.

"Remember, if you guys go out to be on your guard. No one will be here to shadow you today," Bill told Harry.

"Bill what the hell was that?!" Harry hissed angrily.

Bill turned to Harry with wide eyes. He had no idea what he had done wrong. "Um, goodbye to you to!" Bill replied sarcastically.

"Bill you were just flirting with Tonks!"

"I was not!" Bill defended. Harry gave him an incredulous look. "And so what if I was? It's just a little harmless flirting!"

Harry rubbed his arm in a subconscious manner. "I don't think that Tonks sees it that way," he said. Bill rolled his eyes. "Really, I think that she might…she might like you."

Bill shook his head. "That's ridiculous! Besides what about what you're doing with Luna?!"

"I'm not doing anything with Luna!" Harry argued, even though he was blushing deeply. "A-and even if I was, that would be completely different! I'm not getting married in five days!"

"Even if you were flirting with her, it would still count as leading her on!" Bill nearly shouted. He turned his back on Harry and walked towards the door. "You don't understand anything."

"Bill!" Harry called. Bill stopped at the door but didn't turn around to look at Harry. "Please, don't let her get hurt."

"…That's the last thing that I want," Bill whispered. He walked out of the door, leaving Harry alone in the hall.

"Is something wrong?"

Harry turned around and looked at Luna. "I don't know."

After Tonks left for work the others adjourned to the manor's library. It had once again been decided that they should study the Horcruxes. There wasn't much point in training now, they needed the break anyways. For the last couple of weeks all they had done was train. They trained with the Unforgivables, the HBP curses, and Tonks had even started to train them in wand less magic. She split the time with Bill who was teaching them how to duel with two wands. For once they were exhausted, even Harry and Draco wanted a break for once. As per usual, however, they weren't having any luck with their search for the Horcruxes. So far they were sure they knew what all of them were. Just not where they were or how to destroy them.

Harry groaned and put down one of the texts. "I've got nothing in this one." He dropped the book on the table and looked around at the others. "What about you guys?" He asked, rubbing his temple.

"Sorry Harry I can't find anything," Luna replied. The blond gave him a pat on the shoulder and a sympathetic smile.

Hermione shook her head. "I can't find anything in this one either." She gave a frustrated growl and tried in vain to straighten out her hair. "If only we had the Hogwarts library!"

"Well we don't. Draco did you find anything?" Harry looked over at Draco but received no answer. "Draco?"

Draco shook his head and looked up from his book. "No. Nothing in here." Harry groaned in disappointment. "But I was thinking. What will we do when we find the Horcruxes?"

Luna nodded in understanding. "That makes sense. If the Horcruxes are so important to Voldemort then he is sure to protect them fiercely."

"Right! We need to prepare ourselves for when we actually do find them."

Harry nodded. "I think I know where you are going with this. We should go to Diagon Alley and pick up some supplies to help us."

Draco nodded. "We need to get some weapons. The rapiers that we have aren't going to cut it in a real battle."

Harry smirked and stood on his feet. "I already have my weapon."

Harry closed his eyes in deep concentration and held out his right hand. Before their very eyes a sword began to appear in his hand. The hilt of the sword was made of silver imbued with rubies and the crest of Godric Gryffindor. The blade of the sword was made of pure silver, it was long and thin. Despite the look of elegance, the blade held undeniable power. Draco stood up from his seat and looked at the blade with genuine curiosity. Hermione's eyes glittered with the thought of being in the presence of the weapon that belonged to her houses founder. Luna on the other hand stared at the sword with utmost curiosity. Harry looked down upon the sword with reverence; it had saved his life after all.

"Is that the sword of Godric Gryffindor?" Draco asked curiously.

Harry nodded. "Yes."

"The same one that you used to kill the basilisk in the Chamber of Secrets?" Luna asked.

"The same one."

Hermione gently put her hand on the broad side of the blade. "It's so beautiful. I read that Godric Gryffindor crafted it himself."

"Something created by one of the Hogwarts founders? It is truly something to be respected," Luna suggested.

Draco nodded. "I've never seen a sword like this before. Still, it wouldn't hurt to have a secondary sword. Just in case."

"I wish that we could find the weapons that belonged to the other founders," Hermione sighed dreamily.

"The other founders had weapons to?" Harry asked in curiosity.

Hermione smiled brightly and walked back over to the table. "I thought that this might interest you all." She picked up a book and skipped ahead to where she had left a marker. "This book is all about the Hogwarts finders. It states that each one of them had a weapon. Unfortunately, it only has a picture of the weapons that belonged to Gryffindor and Slytherin." She pointed to the page that she was on.

The others crowded around to look at the pages of the book. On the left page was Godric Gryffindor holding his elegant sword. The page on the right featured Salazar Slytherin dressed in a hooded cloak that blocked his face from view. In his hands he held two wicked looking swords. The sword in his right hand was a serpentine blade. The hilt was designed so that the blade appeared to be coming out the mouth of a snake. In the snakes eyes were two emeralds and the hilt itself was black. (A.N: For a picture of a serpentine blade go to Wikipedia and type it in. When your list of choices comes up, click on Soul Reaver.) The other was a large sword with a unique double bladed sword. The blades appeared to be as thick as the serpentine but were much wider. Runes were carved into the blade as well as a small snake near the top of the right one. Draco stared at the blades, in an almost entranced way.

"I've seen that sword before," he said. He pointed his finger to the serpentine blade. "I just can't remember where."

"…Maybe it's possible to find all of the weapons," Luna replied.

Harry nodded. "And I'm willing to bet galleons that Voldemort has at least one of Slytherin's swords at the least."

Hermione shook her head. "Let's be real. The odds of finding the rest of the weapons are astronomical. Besides these aren't our main concerns."

"You're right," Draco replied.

Hermione looked pleasantly surprised and nodded. "Thanks."

"You are a nag and a killjoy, but you are right." Hermione glared at him and stuck her tongue out.

Harry shook his head at the two of them. "I guess that we should get to Diagon Alley to look for weapons."

"I've never seen any weapon shops in Diagon Alley," Luna said matter of factly.

"Not in Diagon Alley," Draco replied. "We may have to go a little out of the way for one."

"Either way, Hermione needs a second wand," Harry said. "Let's get going."

The four teens left Grimmauld Place and walked to a nearby spot that the order had told them to use for apparition. Once they reached the spot they immediately apparated to Diagon Alley. Luna learned how to apparate from Draco and Harry. She had picked it up rather quickly and never even splinched herself once. The two of them walked the short trip to Ollivander's wand shop. They walked inside the shop; a small bell rang when they opened the door. An old man with white hair and a weathered face came sliding out from the back room on a ladder. He had large brown eyes that swept over the three teens quickly. Mr. Ollivander was dressed in his usual white shirt, brown pants and long brown overcoat. A smile appeared on the old man's face when his eyes landed on the teens.

"Mr. Potter, Mr. Malfoy, Ms. Lovegood and Ms. Granger. What a pleasure to see all of you again." He climbed down and walked up to the counter.

"I'm glad to see that you are back Mr. Ollivander," Harry said.

"Glad to be back Mr. Potter. What can I do for the four of you?" He asked politely.

Hermione cleared her throat slightly. "I need a secondary wand."

"A secondary wand?" Asked the old man. The expression on Ollivander's face seemed nothing less than surprised. "Did something happen to your first wand?"

"Oh! No! No!" Hermione shook her head frantically and pulled her wand from her pocket. "The first one is fine see!"

Ollivander nodded. "Ah yes. Vinewood with a dragon heartstring core. You have kept it in fine condition." Hermione beamed proudly and Draco faked vomiting. "I trust you want a second one to be prepared?"

"Yes sir."

"And the rest of you?" He asked.

"We have two wands already," Luna replied.

"May I see them?" Luna stepped forward and handed over her two wands very carefully. Ollivander examined them for a second and then nodded. "I remember these. Holly, 10 inches, slightly springy, with a few hairs from a very fine female unicorn." He handed over Luna's wand and picked up the second one. "12, yew, firm with a dragon heartstring core. This one belonged to your father. I am very sorry to hear about his death," he said earnestly. He handed the wand back and pointed to Draco.

Draco was a little reluctant to give up his wands at first but eventually laid them down on the counter. "Be careful."

Ollivander nodded and examined the first wand. "10 ½ inches, hawthorn, firm, with a hair from a male unicorn." He handed this wand back and picked up his second one. "11 ½ inches, walnut, with a dragon heartstring core. No doubt your mother's?" Draco took the wand back and nodded. "Now you both know that the wands that belonged to your parents will not work properly for you unless given to you by them, or if you took them."

Luna and Draco nodded. "Yes sir," Luna answered respectfully.

"Good. Now for your wands Mr. Potter." Harry handed the wands over and Ollivander smiled reminiscently. "11 inches, holly, with a single phoenix feather. And your second wand…" He stared in shock at the second wand. "13 inches, mahogany, with a unicorn hair from both a male and female. Used to belong to Albus Dumbledore." He stared at the wand for a second, before handing them both back to Harry. "Fine wands."

There was a long moment of silence before Hermione decided to say something. "Mr. Ollivander are you alright?"

"Yes, I'm quite alright," he answered quickly. He shook his head and motioned for her to follow him. "Come on then. Let's get you fitted for a wand."

About fifteen minutes later Hermione had a new wand. It was about 11 inches, oak, with a dragon heartstring core. "Alright that will be eleven sickles." As Hermione paid him an idea crossed his mind. "I just thought of something. Perhaps I could interest you all in some wand holsters?"

"Wand holsters?" Harry asked.

Mr. Ollivander placed several black leather holsters with metal buckles up on the counter. "Wand holsters can be worn on the wrist or leg. They are charmed to be protected against curses and allow for quick drawing of your wand."

Harry and Draco looked at one another and nodded. "We'll take them!" They said in unison.

"Where should we go next?" Harry asked. He was busy helping Luna strap one of her holsters to her wrist.

"The wedding is soon," she said, "maybe we should go to Madame Malkins first."

Draco agreed wholeheartedly. "We should. After all, the weapons shop is in Knockturn Alley."

The Slytherin crossed in front of them, leaving them to stare at his back. He never mentioned that the weapons shop was in Knockturn Alley! Then again, since that was where all of the dark wizards went, it should have been no surprise to them. Harry tried to argue with Draco about having to go down into the creepy alley. He had only been there once and it wasn't a very pleasant experience. Draco had merely told him to stop acting like a little girl and continued on his way. As usual for this time of the year Madame Malkin's Robes for all Occasions was pretty crowded. Many young wizards, most likely aspiring first years, were being fitted for school robes. It brought back memories for the four of them. Had it really been that long since they had started school?

"Sorry, we are sort of busy." Madame Malkin walked out and smiled at them. "What can I do for you?" She pulled her head back to avoid being hit by an enchanted measuring tape.

"We need dress robes for a wedding," Harry said with a smile.

Madame Malkin smiled brightly at Harry and then at Luna. "You two are rather young but you make a lovely couple."

The two teens gave her a bemused expression then turned to look at each other with wide eyes. Their faces burned a bright crimson and they had to turn their backs to one another. Draco burst out in instantaneous laughter and Hermione covered a snigger with her hand. Madame Malkin looked pleasantly confused.

"Ah I see. So then, the two of you are the ones getting married?" She asked with a gesture to Hermione and Draco.

Hermione's cheeks flushed a slight shade of pink. "NO!" She cried, seemingly in disgust.

Draco made and angry motion with his right hand. "Let's get these measurements started!"

After Harry and Draco had gone back to get their measurements it was the girl's turn. "You should have seen the look on your face when she thought you and Luna were getting married." Draco said with a wide grin.

Harry blushed. "I didn't have look."

"Sure you did. It's the one that you have on your face right now."

"Well what about the look you had on your face when she thought you and Hermione were getting married?!"

"I deserved to have that look. The idea of that is just frightening."

"Hermione isn't that bad," Harry defended his long time friend.

"She is for me." Draco leaned back in his chair and ran a hand through his hair. "You can't honestly tell me that it would be so bad for you to be married to Luna?"

"I could do worse," Harry admitted. His thoughts drifted briefly to Cho Chang and Romilda Vane. "Much worse! Still, I would like to have romantic feelings for the person I want to get married to."

"Yeah, well being in Slytherin has trained me to see certain things."

"What does that mean?"

Draco growled in disgust and slapped himself in the forehead. "This is why Gryffindors aren't known for their brains!"

"Why are you calling me stupid?" Harry asked.

Draco was just about ready to slap the ebony haired boy for being stupid. How could you just cuddle and get as close to someone as he did to Luna and then deny that you like them? Draco wasn't exactly an expert on love but he at least noticed a crush when he saw one. Just as he was about to reach out and choke Harry the girls came out from the back. Madame Malkin followed after them with a smile on her face.

"Well the measurements are all finished," she said. "Now, when do you need these dress robes by?"

"Could you do it in three days?" Hermione asked hopefully.

"Of course. Will there be anything else?"

Harry and Draco shared another look. "We were wondering if you could make us battle robes?" Harry asked.

"Battle robes?" The seamstress asked. She seemed a little surprised by this request but nodded. "I can have them made but they are going to take at least two weeks to make."

"That will be fine," Harry said.

"Come on," Draco urged. "I want to hurry this up!"

Luna bowed slightly to Madame Malkin. "Thank you." She turned around and followed the others out of the door. "Why are you in such a hurry Draco?"

Draco shook his head. "Knockturn Alley is the perfect place for Death Eaters."

Hermione nodded in agreement. "So then we should get in and out as fast as we can."

Harry followed Draco down the road and into the darkness of Knockturn Alley. When they entered the alley the girls jumped close to them and didn't move from their side. Hermione's fright was more noticeable by the way that she immediately inserted herself between the two boys. Luna simply walked up beside Harry and took his hand in hers. Harry smiled at her and continued to follow Draco's lead. The young man turned to the right and led them to one of the few shops that actually looked out over the streets of Diagon Alley. From the outside the shop looked dingy and in need of repairs. The paint was chipping, the windows covered in dust and the sign hanging halfway off of its hinges. Harry and Hermione stared at the shop with matching incredulous faces.

"Are you sure that this is a good place?" Hermione asked. Her brown eyes swiveled over to watch a particularly seedy looking wizard.

"It may not look like much. But Julius has the best weapons in the entire wizarding world."

Draco walked into the shop closely followed by Luna. Her intrigue of the shop was painfully apparent. Harry was about to follow her in when he felt a hand on his shoulder. "I have a bad feeling about this place," she said anxiously.

Harry nodded in agreement. "I sense it to. Just don't go too far away."

"Don't worry."

The two of them entered the store side by side. The inside was dimly lit but appeared cleaner than the outside. Racks with various types of swords lined the walls. Stands of weapons were dispersed throughout the store. On them was everything from small axes and daggers, to spears and broadswords. The wall on the far end of the room was divided in half with windows that overlooked Diagon Alley. Luna was busy investigating what appeared to be a very large dagger. Draco was at the counter trying to peer into the back of the shop. It looked as though he was looking for something or someone. Hermione sighed and shook her head. She had a really bad feeling about this place.

"I would be careful with that if I were you." A rough yet silky sounding voice issued from the shadows.

A tall lanky man stepped out from the shadows of the corner. He was dressed in a pair of black pants with zippers traveling up the side. His shirt was a white dress shirt that he wore untucked. He wore a battle worn calf length leather duster that seemed to flare out around him. The skin of his face was pale and sallow, but otherwise he appeared to have been handsome. Icy blue eyes stared coolly back at them. Messy black hair fell down over his face and a seedy looking van dyke adorned his face. He walked slowly towards Luna, the click of his boots echoing off of the wooden floor.

"That Cinquedea is very sharp," he said.

Luna looked down at the knife she was holding then back at the man. "A cinquedea?"

"An Italian sword that was often called five fingers," Draco answered.

The man turned his head and glared at Draco. "Draco Malfoy, you insufferable, stupid git."

"Wallace, you greasy a haired git." The two of them stared intensely at one another. Before long a grin broke out on their faces and they shook hands. "How have you been?"

"Not too bad. How about you?"

"Things aren't exactly going my way," Draco admitted.

"And you and your friends came here to make that time easier."

"In a word. Wallace, this is Harry Potter, Luna Lovegood, and Hermione Granger. Guys this is Julius Wallace. An old friend of the family."

"Harry Potter hm?" His eyes shifted over to Harry and he nodded. "Interesting. And a pleasure to meet such lovely young women." He said, bowing down to Hermione and Luna.

Hermione gave him a nod but Luna returned the gesture. "Pleasure to meet you. Your accent is different," Luna replied. She was curious to ask him something but didn't want to seem rude.

"I can tell you are curious. Please, ask your question."

"You're not Italian are you?"

Julius laughed. "Yes I am. I changed my name several years ago."

"Why would you do that?" Harry asked.

"Now that I cannot tell you." He smiled slyly at Harry and swiped at a lock of errant hair. "So, what brings you here today?"

"We need some weapons," Draco said irritably.

"Obviously!" Julius said sarcastically. "I meant what kind of weapons genius."

"I would like to look around," Hermione said. Even though she didn't exactly trust the store or its owner she was curious.

"By all means." He gestured to the weapons that littered store. "If you require any assistance, don't be afraid to call."

The teens dispersed throughout the store to look at various weapons. Hermione walked towards a stand of weapons and ran her hand along the hilt of a British Cutlass. Julius watched the four teens in interest. After all, you could tell a lot about a person by what weapon they chose. He could already tell a lot about some of them. His blue eyes shifted over to Harry, who was busy checking out a claymore. Julius watched Harry consider the two handed sword and then put it back. He nodded, knowing that it wouldn't have been a good choice for the wizard. Then his eyes shifted over to Draco. The Slytherin was waving a flambard around in an experimental fashion, another choice that wouldn't stick. But where had the little blond girl gone to? He couldn't see her anywhere. Julius jumped up from the counter, deciding that it would be a good idea to search for her.

Luna was staring at a set of large circular bladed weapons. The weapons were very strange looking indeed, but also very beautiful. One half the bladed circles was colored length wise in a deep blue. Eight sharp points stuck out from the circle, four of which sat on top of smaller circles placed around the larger ones. The space inside of the larger circle was clear with the exception of a cross bar. The weapon was polished to perfection; it held a beautiful but very dangerous aura. There was something about the weapons that called to Luna. She reached out a hand to touch one but was stopped by a hand on her wrist.

"I wouldn't touch those if I were you," Julius warned. He let go of Luna's hand and turned to stare at the weapon.

"They're beautiful," Luna said. "What are they?"

"They are called chakrams," Julius informed her. "They have a very unique design. Truly gorgeous craftsmanship. But," he sighed, "the problem is that they belonged to a great and famous witch."

"Wouldn't that help them to sell better?"

"Heh, logically yes. But the problem is whoever touches the chakrams experiences unimaginable pain." Luna turned and looked up at him. Julius looked at Luna with a smirk. "I believe that they are destined for a certain person. I only hope that I live to see them used."

The weapon seller turned around and walked away from her slowly. "Hey Luna!" Luna turned and looked in the direction the voice had come from. She looked at the weapons one last time and then ran off to go and fine Harry.

"Did you find anything yet?"

Draco looked to the brunette next to him and shook his head. "No," he answered lightly. "I can't find a decent sword."

Hermione sighed. Harry and Hermione had made a deal a couple of weeks ago. She couldn't help but hear Harry's words run through her head. _'You need to try and get along with Draco.' _Seeing this as a chance Hermione had replied, _'I'll make you a deal. I'll be nicer to Draco if you consider going back to school in between __Horcrux quests__.' _She thought that she was safe until Harry replied with _'Deal.' _After having that thrown back in her face, Hermione had tried her best to be nice to the Slytherin. At least when Harry was in earshot. If Harry was out of the room or they were training she would take all of her aggressions out on him.

"None of these are any good?" She asked innocently.

Draco raised a questioning brow. _'Granger has been very civil to me lately. But only when Harry is in the room. I wonder what he said to her?' _He shook his. "The swords are high quality; they just don't fit my style. I use finesse, so I need a sword that emphasizes that but can still give me powerful strikes."

"What is my style?"

"Since I'm teaching you, you'll want the same type of weapon."

Hermione nodded. She didn't like Draco but she had quickly discovered that Draco was far more powerful than her. And she had no choice but to respect him for that reason. Only that reason and his knowledge on bladed weapons. She turned and saw Harry and Luna talking a little ways away.

"Did you guys find anything?" She called. Harry looked over at her and shook his head in annoyance.

"Get down," Draco said.

Hermione turned back to him with a befuddled expression. "What?"

**"G****et down!"**

Draco grabbed Hermione by the shoulders; he inserted himself between her and the window and pulled her to the ground with him. Harry didn't as much time to react, so he was only able to put himself between her and the glass. A second later the windows exploded and shattered glass rained down on them. Draco was still in mid drop when the glass shattered; a particularly large shard flew down and cut his right cheek open. Harry hunched over in order to protect Luna from the falling glass. He felt a light stinging on the back of his neck and knew he must have been cut. Out of instinct Luna pushed herself into Harry and they dropped down to the ground. When the glass finished shattering Draco and Harry lifted their heads. They looked at one another and nodded to show that they were okay.

"What the hell was that?!" Julius shouted.

Draco pushed himself off of the ground and backed against the lower section of the wall. Hermione looked up and saw that Draco had a large cut on his right cheek. "You're hurt!" Hermione cried.

"Who is?" Luna asked.

"This is just a scratch." Draco touched his cheek watching his blood coat the tips of his fingers.

"We've got bigger problems than a scratch," Harry muttered. Some loud cries of panic rose from the street outside. "We've got Death Eaters out there."

Draco and Hermione peered over the wall and saw figures in black cloaks and bone masks running around the street. There were at least a dozen of them running around the street, throwing spells left and right. The teens took cover again and a second later Julius jumped down next to Draco on the floor. He had a wand out and looked battle ready.

"If they get any closer, we'll be ready! EH?!" The look on his face said just how much he wanted to fight.

"We can't just sit here! We have to do something!" Harry said.

Draco took out a vial and flipped the cork out. "I guess that you want to go and help them then?!" He downed the bottle in a single gulp.

Draco's features started to melt away. His facial features became sharper and his skin gained a little more color. His hair grew to shoulder length and turned black with red highlights. He gained a couple of inches in height but otherwise remained the same.

"Polyjuice potion?" Hermione asked.

"Can't let them see me helping you. What do you want to do Harry?"

"I want to see how our training will pay off!" Harry flicked his wrists and his wands shot from his holsters and into his waiting hands. "Oooh! I like these!"

"Right behind you mate!" Draco gripped his wands in his hands and nodded.

"You guys can't be serious about going out there!" Hermione cried.

"We are! You two stay here!" Draco ordered.

"But…" Luna started to argue.

Harry shook his head. "I'm not going to tell you what to do. Just be careful."

Luna smiled gratefully at Harry. "I will. You too!"

"I'll cover you two," Julius said. "When I fire my first spell that's when you two go over the wall!" Harry and Draco nodded in understanding. There was a moment of hesitation before he jumped up and fired a stunner into the crowd of Death Eaters. "Now!"

Luna and Hermione jumped up and fired spells that made the Death Eaters scatter and panic a little. During the confusion Harry and Draco leapt over the wall and into the street. The two of them ran towards the group of Death Eaters firing stunner spells. Harry aimed and fired a stunner at a Death Eater that was trying to attack a group of small children and their mother. The stunner hit the wizard in the side of the head and flung him into the wall of a shop. Two Death Eaters squared off with Draco and fired several curses at him in rapid succession. Draco rolled under the curses and fired off a body binding curse from each of his wands. One of the Death Eaters was smart enough to duck but his friend wasn't as lucky. The curse hit him in the chest; his body snapped rigid and he fell over. Draco smirked but had to dive behind the cart of a street vendor to dodge some curses.

"Damn! There's too many of them!"

A second later a body landed on top of the cart, knocking some of the wares off onto Draco. He turned his head to the side just in time to see Harry roll off the top of the cart. Harry was breathing hard and a few beads of sweat trickled down his forehead.

"Damn, these guys are good!" Draco nodded and checked both of his wands. "I think they have us a little outnumbered."

"I know. Are you okay?" Draco asked, pointing to his forehead.

A curse hit near the cart. Draco and Harry leaned around the sides of the carts and shouted, "Stupefy!" They moved back to safety just in time to avoid a couple of curses.

"I'm fine. It's just a little scratch."

"We've found Potter! Get him!" One of the cloaked figures shouted.

Hermione, Luna and Julius were still in the shop firing curses as means of support. Hermione looked back to the side and saw Harry and Draco taking cover behind a large wooden cart. Curses and all manners of spells were hitting the cart, attempting to break through it. Neither of them could move because they were pinned down by the enemy fire.

"Harry and Malfoy are in trouble!" She told the others.

Luna's eyes opened wide. She gripped her wands so tightly that her knuckles were turning white. Without a second thought she started to climb over the wall. Someone grabbed her by the back of her shirt and pulled her back into the shop. When she looked up, she found Julius staring back at her.

"Why did you stop me?" She asked.

"I appreciate that you wish to help your friends! But going out there is suicide." Julius stood up and reached into his coat. He unsheathed a mortuary sword with his right hand and held his wand firmly in his left.

"So then where are you going?"

Julius rolled his eyes as if the answer was the most obvious thing in the world. "Out there!" He said, pointing towards the street with his sword. "What did you just meet me or something?!"

Luna looked a little confused but Hermione turned around and nodded. "Yes! Yes, we did!"

Julius just shrugged and jumped over the wall. He walked out to the middle of the street, and somehow remained unseen by the Death Eaters. "He is out of his mind!" Hermione growled.

Julius continued walking with both of his arms raised. "Come on now lads!" He called loudly. This gained the attention of the Death Eaters and they ceased firing for a second. "Why don't we play a little game?"

A particularly large cloaked wizard pointed to Julius and said, "You two take care of that guy. Everyone else focus on Potter!"

One of them turned on Julius and raised his wand. "Crucio!"

The red jet of light sped towards Julius but he didn't even bother to move. He raised his sword and used it to block the curse. The blade absorbed the curse and Julius smirked at the stunned attacker. "Surely you can do better than that!"

The Death Eater raised his wand and jabbed it towards Julius; a second later he was facing off against two enemies. The three fighters twirled around the street, deflecting and casting curses. Julius brought his wand down sharply, knocking the wand from one enemy's hand. He spun low and jabbed his wand at the still armed enemy. His curse sent the wizard flying through the windows of a nearby shop.

"Care to test your luck again?" He asked the unarmed Death Eater.

Hermione and Luna jumped over the wall and found themselves face to face with a few enemies of their own. "Impedimenta!" Hermione cried. Her attack hit her enemy in the legs causing him to fall flat on his face.

A little ways away from her, Luna was dealing with a couple of enemies of her own. The blond ducked under a killing curse and retaliated with a Conjunctivitis Curse. Luna decided to take advantage of her enemy's distraction. "Levicorpus!" She raised her enemy into the air, and then sent him tumbling towards the ground.

"Luna! Look out!" Hermione cried. Luna turned around and was blasted by the second Death Eater's attack. The force of the curse lifted her off of her feet and flung her back through the window of the shop. "Luna!"

Luna landed hard on the wood floor of the weapons shop and tumbled for a few feet before skidding to a halt. When she lifted her head up off of the ground she could see the wizard that blasted her coming closer. Though her vision was slightly blurred she could make out the tall cloaked figure standing over her. He raised his wand to cast a killing curse but Luna was able to disarm him with the wand she managed to hold onto. The Death Eater kicked her wand from her hand and then kicked hard into the shoulder; knocking her back against a stone stand. The Death Eater pulled a large dagger from inside of his cloak.

"Not bad for a little girl! But it's over."

He approached Luna slowly and raised his dagger to kill her. Luna backed up against the stand and felt around over her head for something to defend herself with. She felt a small pain in one of her fingers and jerked back to look at it. A drop of blood trickled down her finger. She reached up and felt her hand closed around a metal handle. Just as the Death Eater stabbed at her Luna swung the weapon wildly in self defense. She cut the Death Eater across the wrist making him drop his knife. He backed up, clutching his wrist and cursing.

"You-you little bitch!" He screeched. He reached over and pulled a sword out of the nearest weapons stand. "I'll kill you!"

He swung his sword downward at Luna but it was blocked by a flash of silver. "Get away from her!" Harry knocked the sword out of the Death Eater's hand and cut him across the leg with Gryffindors Sword. As the Death Eater fell Harry knelt down beside Luna. "Luna are you okay?"

Luna nodded. Her eyes widened and she pointed behind Harry. "Look out!"

Harry turned around just in time to see another Death Eater raise a large axe. Instead just as he was about to swing the axe, Julius materialized in front of them. His sword was raised in the air with blood dripping from the blade. The axe wielding Death Eater fell to the ground, dead.

Julius turned around to look at Luna with a stunned face. Draco and Hermione ran back into the shop to where they were. Draco knocked out the remaining Death Eater with a reductor spell. Hermione squeaked and jumped slightly. "I think that they are retreating!" She informed them excitedly.

Draco smirked. "We kicked their asses!" He noticed the stunned and slightly distracted looks on the others faces. "What's with you guys?" He asked in slight annoyance.

"You are holding the weapon?" Julius asked in shock.

Luna looked down at the chakram in her hand. "But I thought that the weapon hurt anyone that touched it?" Harry asked.

"Unless it is meant for them. Read the inscription on the blade."

Luna tried to ignore the dead and unconscious bodies on the floor and focus on the weapon. "Wit beyond measure is a man's greatest treasure," she read quietly.

Julius smiled and the other appeared to be nothing short of stunned. "What house are you in?" He asked with a smirk.

Luna looked down at the weapon and looked at the name inscribed below the quote. _Rowena Ravenclaw_

**End Chapter**

* * *

**There's the end of that chapter. It seemed like it took forever to finish it. If you want a better picture of any of the weapons just go to Wikipedia. For a better idea of what the chakrams look like, just try to find a picture of Axel from Kingdom Hearts 2 with his chakrams. I hope you enjoyed this chapter. As always I appreciate reviews so let me know what you guys thought! See ya next time!**


	13. Chapter 13: To Be Or Not To Be

**There was a little more action in the last chapter than previous ones. I would like to thank all of my readers for sticking with me. Now, let's get started.**

**Dislaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. But according to my revies I now own the internet. Woohoo!**

* * *

**Chapter 13: To Be or Not to Be?**

Harry groaned in annoyance as he tried to fix the tie that went with his dress robes. He fumbled with the tie and finally decided to give up before it drove him insane. He walked over to the couch and plopped down. The robes he wore were similar to the ones that he wore at the Yule Ball in his fourth year. Black pants and a tuxedo like jacket, over which he wore an emerald green cloak. Unfortunately the black bow tie was proving to be more than a match for him. It amazed Harry how well he could deal with some of the toughest wizards and darkest creatures that the world has ever seen. Yet here he was. Losing a battle to nothing more than a few scraps of material. After trying one more time and failing he laid back on the couch. If Bill wasn't getting married today Harry doubted that he would even be bothering with the tie.

A small smile took over his face as he thought about it. Bill was actually getting married today, as hard as that was to believe. Something that was even harder for him to believe was that he was seventeen now and therefore legal in the wizarding world. His birthday had gone by peacefully and without a hitch. With the exception of Hermione and Mrs. Weasley no one made a big deal about it. This was something that Harry was very thankful for. He would ever want that to change. In fact the last few days had been very good to Harry. Training, in all of its forms, went smoother than usual. Neither he nor Draco had any nightmares, though he wondered why that was. Best of all Hermione and Draco hadn't gotten into a single fight. Of course that was due largely in part to the fact that they had been ignoring one another.

Harry remembered the argument that most likely led to this situation. It was just after they got back from going to buy weapons. They had only been in the house for a couple of minutes before the two of them got into it. The four of them had been sitting in the old tapestry room talking.

**Flashback**

_"That was a little more difficult than I expected it to be," Hermione said. _

_Draco didn't say anything. He just seemed to be staring at the opposite wall in one of his contemplative moods.__ Harry simply nodded to her while he sipped at his cup of tea. Luna on the other hand was studying her new weapon. The young girl appeared to be enamored with the chakrams considering she hadn't set them down once since coming back to Grimmauld. __Hermione looked first from Harry and then to Draco._

_"Why were Death Eaters even in Diagon Alley today?" She asked incredulously_

_"Random attack?" Luna suggested. Though with __the way that she was examining __spike on her chakram, Harry doubted that she was paying too much attention._

_"No they were too well organized for it to be random," Harry replied. He leaned back in his chair and shook his head solemnly. "Not to mention they were looking for me.__ How did they know that I was there?"_

_Hermione shrugged. "Why don't we ask one of their own?"_

_Draco finally turned to start paying attention to the conversation. Luna glanced up briefly from her weapon but looked back down when she sensed an impending fight. "Care to repeat yourself Granger?" He asked venomously._

_"You would know wouldn't you? Because how else would they have known?"_

_"Hermione!" Harry scolded._

_Luna turned to look at Hermione. "Hermione I doubt that Draco would do that to us. He even saved you."_

_"Do you really think that he's changed?!"_

_The look on Draco's face tightened into a thin lipped, angry expression. "Watch where __you__ are going with this mudblood." His silver eyes flashed dangerously._

_Luna looked slightly surprised. "Draco?"_

_"You think that you are so much better than me because you are a pureblood?" Hermione asked. Draco raised an eyebrow as if to say that it was an obvious statement.__ "Well it's not your bloodline that makes you better or below someone else. It's your actions." She flipped a strand of hair behind her ear and glared at Draco. "Right now, you're proving to be no better than your father."_

_The sudden quiet in the room seemed to smother them. Harry and Luna paid no attention to Hermione but rather stayed completely focused on Draco.__ The young Slytherin lowered his head and stared at the ground. His hand curled into a __fist. For the briefest second Harry had the feeling that he was going to lash out at the brunette. He stepped forwards just in case Draco did decide to try and hurt her. Instead all he could manage to do was look up at her. After staring at her for a second all he did was __w__alk out of the room. None of them could move after th__at, they couldn't believe that Draco would just leave without saying anything. After a second Luna just went chasing after him._

**End Flashback**

Harry sighed. That was nearly five days ago that the two of them had that fight and still neither of them said anything to each other. In fact Draco didn't say much to any of them. Even Luna who always seemed to be able to get a response out of him was unable to get too close to him. Even though the fight was due to Hermione's irrational thinking (that rarely happened) he still couldn't blame her completely. She had no idea about Draco's situation and she was just trying to come up with a plausible excuse for what had happened. However, he didn't take sides with Draco either. In fact he was trying his best not to choose sides in this argument. Neither was Luna but Harry had the sneaking suspicion that she was on Draco's side at heart.

"Why haven't you tied your tie?"

Harry opened his eyes and saw Luna's curious face staring down at him. "Because this tie is evil," Harry explained. "I think it may have been made by dark wizards."

Luna laughed and walked around to the front of the couch. Harry looked over at Luna and found himself staring at her. She was wearing a beautiful green halter dress that fell down and flowed out around her ankles. The straps went over her shoulders and tied around at the back of her neck. The bodice of the dress had a strange criss crossing design. Harry noticed that the dress hovered only a centimeter above the ground. It was then that he saw she wasn't wearing any shoes. Her radish earrings were missing as was her butterbeer cap necklace. Considering that the necklace was a gift from her mother he doubted that it hadn't gone too far. Luna wasn't wearing any makeup but then again she didn't need it either. Harry couldn't find any words to describe her, save for one. Beautiful.

"Do you want me to tie it for you?" She asked sweetly. Harry couldn't think of anything to say so he simply nodded. Luna sat down next to him on the couch and started to fix his tie for him. "I had to do this for daddy to. He always made it crooked."

"I never got to meet your dad. But for some reason I can't imagine him wearing a tie."

"Did I say that he wore the tie?" Luna asked with a confused expression.

Harry wanted to ask what her father did with the ties but decided that it was probably not worth the risk of his sanity. "Well, it's a good thing that you were there for him."

"I wasn't really there for him. Not when it counted." There wasn't a single hint of sadness in her voice but he could see it in her eyes. She finished tying his tie from him and tried to stand up.

Harry grabbed her hand to keep her from leaving. "There was nothing you could have done." Harry said in a soft, comforting tone. "I didn't know your dad. But it sounds to me like you were his pride and joy. He needed you and as long as you were safe, I don't think anything else mattered to him. You were there for him when it counted because it always counted."

Luna smiled and sat back down next to Harry. She squeezed his hand and smiled brightly at him. It was a smile that Harry rarely saw but that he had to admit he loved seeing. "Thank you Harry. That was really sweet." She gazed into his eyes in an almost loving way.

Harry blushed brilliantly and shook his head. His heart beat started to pick up and he suddenly started to feel really nervous. "Yeah…well, don't get too used to it!" He managed to get out.

* * *

"What the bloody hell is wrong with this tie?!" Draco growled angrily. 

Draco's uniform was very similar to Harry's. The only difference was that he wore a silver shirt made of silk. Just like Harry he was having trouble with his tie. He rolled his eyes and flopped down backwards on the bed. Since he had the moment to himself he decided to assess their current situation. He had been with the group for a little over a month now and they were coming along nicely. All four of them could utilize the Unforgivables to near perfection. All though the girls appeared to not want to use them. Hermione claimed that they were illegal and Luna just wouldn't use them because of the affects they had on people afterwards. He and Harry could take the pain of the Cruciatus Curse better than the girls but they were getting there. The Dolohov Curse was a little harder for them to learn but Harry seemed to pick it up quickly. Training with Tonks and Bill was brutal, especially the wandless magic portion. While they were making progress in that area none of them could compare to Luna. The spacey girl had a natural aptitude for wandless magic. Though he was sure that if they kept training they would get it soon.

Draco reached over to the nightstand and picked up his pack of cigarettes. He used his wand to light it and took a long, slow drag. As long as he was taking the time to evaluate his comrades, he might as well evaluate himself. His own training was coming along nicely. His life on the other hand was far from being back on track. Granger was far from being friends with him. Of course it wasn't like she really mattered; she was just a stupid mudblood after all. More often than not, he found himself thinking about his other two teammates. He found it sad that Harry Potter and Luna Lovegood were the closest things that he had to friends. Crabbe and Goyle didn't count; they were just following him because he was smarter and more powerful than they were. But he felt a certain connection with Harry and Luna. Perhaps because they had the same experiences and felt the same loneliness. He and Harry were a lot alike so he could talk to him and expect him to understand. Luna didn't always understand but she never judged him when he had a problem. It was odd but he felt like he finally had a reason to fight.

"This is stupid!" He jumped up from the table. Draco pulled the cigarette out of his mouth, a cloud of gray escaping. "Stop thinking about this!"

Every time that he got close to someone his life immediately got worse. Not too long ago he lost his mother. Narcissa was just the latest in the long line of people that he cared about and lost. Just to name a couple more were his grandparents and Arianna. Just the thought of his cousin nearly brought him to tears. Arianna was more like a sister to him than a cousin. They were so close that when she died he almost went with her. Draco never understood why his thoughts dwelled on the past so much. It only served to get him down.

"Hey, little cousin!"

Tonks appeared in the doorway, a little underdressed for a wedding in Draco's opinion. She was dressed in a long ruffled black skirt that ended just above her ankles. The skirt rode up on one side so that it revealed her long shapely legs, which were covered by stockings. She wore a white long sleeved peasant blouse with simple designs on the front of it. Her hair, that was a pale mint green in color, was tied up in a messy fashion. Her eyes were a dark shade of purple in order to stand out against the green hair. Very thin layers of makeup covered her heart shaped face.

Draco surveyed her carefully and shook his head. "Aren't you a little underdressed for a wedding?"

Tonks placed her hands on her hips and glared at him. "I think that I look cute."

Draco took another drag on his cigarette and asked, "And the combat boots."

Tonks looked down at her knee high boots and scratched the back of her head. "Well I can't change completely can I?" Draco raised an eyebrow at her. "Besides as an auror I have to be comfortable and ready at anytime." She shifted her dress slightly so that Draco could see a wand holster fastened to her thigh.

"Right, didn't need to see that."

"Shut up. Besides your dressed well enough for the both of us!" She said cheerfully.

"Stop acting like that," he said with a roll of his eyes. "False cheerfulness isn't a very becoming trait."

"Why would I pretend to be happy? My best mate is getting married. Why wouldn't I be happy?"

_'Because he's getting married you great pillock.' _Draco decided that the words he was thinking weren't the words he should say to her aloud. "Pfft! Liar."

"And why would you say that?"

Draco snuffed his cigarette out in the ashtray and walked towards Tonks. It was then that he noticed just how small Tonks actually was. "You may be good at changing your appearance." He reached up to touch her face and she flinched back. There were very few people that could actually touch her and not get that reaction from her. "But you're terrible at hiding your tears." He traced a track left by tears with his thumb.

Tonks just stared at Draco in surprise. She knew that the young Slytherin was very observant; she had learned that from their training sessions. However, she had no idea that he was that observant. It must have been one of the reasons that he was put in Slytherin house. Tonks prepared to defend herself from one of Draco's insults. Instead of saying anything to her, he merely gave her a quick pat on the shoulder. He grabbed his cloak and walked out of the room leaving Tonks on her own. The young witch sat down on the bed and buried her face in her hands.

"You two look nice," Hermione complimented.

"So do you," Luna replied.

Hermione was dressed in a pale blue dress that fell down to her ankles. It reminded Harry much of the dress robes that she wore to the Yule Ball in their fourth year. The dress was strapless and very flattering to her curves. She was wearing a pair of heels that made her almost as tall as Harry. Her long brown hair was pulled back and tied into an elegant plait. She was wearing a light layer of lip gloss and pale blue eye shadow. Her only jewelry was a pair of simple silver earrings. Harry smiled and patted her on the shoulder.

"You girls are too pretty to be in the same room with me," Harry said with a shake of his head.

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Flatterer."

"Maybe just a little."

Luna smiled at them. "We have to leave soon. I wonder what's taking Draco so long."

"I had a little bit of a problem." They turned around and saw Draco walking in through the door. "It's this tie." He pointed to the tie and shook his head.

Harry nodded in agreement with the Slytherin. "I know. They're called ties so why the hell are they so hard to tie?"

Luna smiled and walked up to Draco to tie his tie for him. Draco waited patiently for her to finish tying his tie. When she did he gave it a quick tug and shook his head. How come she was able to tie a tie so easily and it took him forever? He looked over at Hermione and she glanced away from him quickly. It was obvious that they hadn't gotten over their little confrontation yet.

"So how are we getting to the wedding anyways?" Hermione asked.

Harry fiddled with his tie but Luna grabbed his hand to stop him. "We're going to use a portkey," he replied. He placed his hands in his pockets so that he wouldn't be tempted to play with his tie. "I guess that we leave as soon as Tonks is ready to go." _'If she even wants to go to the wedding anymore,' _he thought. Draco wasn't the only one that noticed how differently Tonks had been acting lately.

No sooner than that thought entered his mind did she come running down the stairs. The auror turned to them with an obviously fake grin on her face. "Let's get going," she said briskly. Then she turned around and walked out of the house.

"I wonder what that was about." Hermione asked.

"Her heart is breaking," Luna said quietly.

None of them seemed to hear this, or they just chose to ignore it. Luna on the other hand couldn't ignore it. She felt so terrible for the young metamorphmagus. After they met Tonks outside the five of them gathered around in a circle. Tonks pulled an old looking metal pot. She held it by the hand and motioned for everyone else to take hold of the item. Each of them placed a finger on the pot and the portkey was activated. The group seemed to be moving at high speed through the air. It was a much more pleasant experience than apparating, or at least that's what Harry thought. When the trip ended he found himself standing with the others in front of an old house. The house had several stories and appeared to be in danger of falling over. Harry smiled fondly at the old house. Before he could say anything Tonks walked past him and towards the house.

Harry watched her walk away from them with an almost pained expression on his face. "I feel bad for her."

Harry followed after her towards the back of the house. On the back lawn were hundreds of chairs set up, all with a beautiful oak archway in front of them. A white carpet was rolled up in the middle of the two sides of chairs. Balloon bouquets of silver and black were dispersed among the chairs. Many guests for both the groom and bride side were already there. Harry smiled at the way everything was set up with the banquet tables set up off to the side. It was the way that the Weasley's did almost everything. Simple but with understated beauty. Just as Tonks started to walk towards the chairs two figures apparated right in front of her. She jumped back and glared at the two people in front of her.

"Damnit, what have I told you two about that?" She nearly shouted.

Fred and George reeled back. Out of all the times that they had done that she had never gotten that angry. "Sorry," Fred replied.

"Just a spot of fun," George replied sullenly.

Tonks just shook her head in anger and gestured towards the chairs. "What side of the chairs do the groom's guests sit on?" Instead of saying anything George pointed to the set of chairs on the left side. "I'm going to go and see how Bill is doing."

"He's in the house in his room."

Tonks turned away from them and walked past the garden of gnomes and into the house. "Geez. What is her problem?" Fred asked.

"Wish I could give you an accurate suggestion," Harry replied. He turned to the twins and smiled. "Look at you two in tuxedos."

"I was wondering about that. Why are you wearing muggle clothes?" Hermione asked.

George rolled his eyes. "Fleur decided that her and Bill should, 'Ave a muggle wedding." He said in his best Fleur impersonation.

"Eet eez cuter," Fred replied. He shook his head and smiled, "Not bad. They feel kind of weird though."

"Well Fredrick I think that you and George look nice," Luna replied. She didn't notice how put out Fred seemed about her using his full name. "Where is Fleur? I would like to see her dress."

Hermione nodded enthusiastically. "I wanted to see it as well."

"She's changing upstairs," the twins answered.

"Oi! Fred, George! Come and help me with this ruddy table!" Kingsley shouted. The twins turned around and saw Kingsley trying his best to fight down a table that was bucking like a bull.

"We used the wrong table!" The two of them rushed over to help the auror deal with the table.

Draco and Harry shook their heads. "Never a dull moment with those two," Draco commented.

"Come on. Let's go and see how Bill and Fleur are doing," Harry said.

Bill looked at himself in the mirror of his room and sighed. "I look like an idiot."

Charlie laughed at his big brother and shook his head. "Would you relax mate. I think that we look quite dashing."

Bill was dressed in a pair of black tuxedo pants that were held up by a black belt made of dragon skin. He wore a white tuxedo shirt sans the bowtie. Instead of a bowtie he had a simple button that held the collar closed. He was wearing a deep blue vest that he believed clashed horribly with his red hair. He looked at the white gloves on his hands and shook his head. As the best man Charlie was wearing the same thing. This was a disaster.

"I wish to all that is holy, that I could have worn something different," Bill replied.

Charlie just laughed at him. "You should have known. The wedding belongs to the woman. Fleur was going to choose something like this no matter what you said."

"Yeah, I know. It just isn't my thing," Bill replied sullenly.

"Well then what is your thing?"

"No idea. Not this." He shook his head and walked over to the window. Charlie gave him a curious look that was reflected in the glass of the window. "I'm just wondering what I would be wearing otherwise."

"Otherwise? You mean like if you were marrying another woman?" Charlie asked jokingly.

"Of course not. It's hard enough for me to imagine that I'll be getting married today. Let alone getting married to someone else."

Charlie stood up and patted Bill on the shoulder. "Soon you won't have to imagine. But it's okay because you'll be with the woman that you love." Bill nodded slightly while Charlie checked his watch. "I have to go mingle and do the best man thing." He gave Bill one last pat and walked out of the room.

Bill wasn't alone long before there came a knock at the door. He turned around and saw a thin red haired young man standing in the doorway. He was in black dress robes and wore what appeared to be black dress robes. "Hey Bill."

"Percy?" Bill asked in surprise. "You made it." Percy nodded and stepped slowly into the room. "Have you talked to mom and dad yet?"

Percy shook his head slowly. "I'm not planning on staying too long and I didn't want to bother them. Penelope and I just dropped by to give our regards." Percy took a deep breath and prepared his most business like voice. "I'm really happy for you Bill. I hope that the two of you are real happy." He turned around to walk out of the room but Bill called out to him.

"Percy!" Percy turned around and regarded Bill with a thin smile. "You-you're already here and everything. I'm guessing both of you are dressed up. Wh-why don't you stay?"

"…I can't."

"Please! Percy, this is my wedding. I'm going to get married today and have a wife. I want my family to be here. And I want my little brother back."

"After everything that I've done I don't deserve to be here."

"I've done stuff to," Bill said with a bitter laugh. "And if I'm here, then you deserve to be here to."

Percy scratched the back of his head. "You really want me to stay."

"You're my brother Percy. I love you."

Percy smiled gratefully and nodded. "I love you to Bill." He held out his hand for Bill to shake.

Bill shook his hand and pulled him into a quick one armed hug. Percy hugged him back before pulling away. "You know that you have to face the rest of them?" Bill asked.

Percy shook his head and swiped at his eyes. "Merlin help me."

Bill laughed. "You might want to deal with Charlie first. He should be the easiest."

"I will. See you down there?"

"You will. Thanks for coming Percy."

"Thanks for having me back."

Percy smiled one last time and walked out of the room. On his way out he walked by Tonks who was leaning against the wall outside. He smiled at her and received a smile back. "Tonks you can stop listening in now," Bill called from inside of the room.

Tonks blushed and pushed herself off of the wall. "How did you know that I was listening?"

"I know you too well. Now get in here!" He said trying to sound mad but he was more amused.

Tonks walked into the room, rubbing her arm in a coy manner. She was going to at least have the decency to look guilty. When she caught sight of Bill all thoughts of looking guilty disappeared from her mind. She had never seen him dressed in a suit. Of any kind before. She knew that he was staring at him and that her cheeks must have at least turned a light shade of pink. She could feel her hair start to change colors. However she felt a slight twinge of disappointment. While he looked very handsome he just wasn't Bill without his earring and ponytail.

Little did she know that Bill was thinking about her in a very similar way. "Tonks…you look beautiful."

Tonks blushed a darker shade of red and her hair changed colors to blue. "So do you. I-I me-mean handsome," she said tripping on her words.

"Well thank you but I feel like a git."

Tonks chuckled a little and walked towards him. "Well granted it isn't my taste or yours. But you do look very handsome." Except for that collar."

The collar was sticking up all around the neck. Bill looked down at the collar and smirked. "There's no way I'm fixing it." Tonks gave him a questioning look and he decided to explain. "It's the only thing about me that's still me."

"True. But if you don't fix that Fleur is going to beat you up."

"Yeah right."

"Well you can't go out there like that. Maybe I should just beat you up," she said jokingly.

Bill smirked and beckoned for her to come after him. "Well come on then."

"We don't have time to play Bill." No matter how much she wanted to 'play' she had to be the voice of reason for once.

Knowing how to get her just riled enough to try he walked up to her and smirked obnoxiously. "Wimp," he whispered. He flicked her gently on the forehead making her growl in anger.

"You're gonna get it!" She lunged at him, trying her best to grab his arm.

Bill jumped back and wagged a mocking finger at her. "Surely the big bad auror can do better than that."

Tonks leapt at him again and missed again. She chased him around the room for what seemed like a half an hour but was only a few minutes. She didn't care that. It brought back some of her more simple and happy days from school. Bill managed to stay out of her grasp again though. It was just like their days back at school.

Bill shook his head in disappointment. "This is too easy."

Tonks looked at the bed that was just behind Bill and smirked. She smiled at him in a more than flirtatious way and said in her most sultry voice, "I'll be really easy for you." She winked.

To say that Bill was caught off guard was an understatement. He was so stunned that he didn't even notice Tonks running towards him until she tackled him around the waist. When they landed on the bed Bill rolled over so that he was on top of her. Unfortunately, he didn't have much balance and Tonks was able to roll over so that she was on top again. Given that she didn't weigh much it would have been easy for Bill to regain the advantage. But the only way he could do it was by rolling her to the left. If he did her head would have been smashed into the headboard and he didn't want to hurt her. Giving up he laid flat on the bed.

"Very well. Do what you want with me." He gave her a charming smile that made her cheeks flare.

Tonks took it in stride but fumbled with the collar in slight nervousness. "Why are you acting all playful today?" She asked.

Bill shook his head. "I have no idea," he said quietly. "Guess I'm just in that kind of mood."

Tonks fixed his collar with great care. "Is something wrong? This is your wedding, you should be happy."

"I am. I love Fleur and I want to be married to her." He didn't notice the look of disappointment on her face. "I just can't help but feel weird about this."

For some reason that she couldn't quite figure out, it felt like a vice was constricting her heart. Still she had to try her best to help Bill. "Bill, everyone gets a little nervous before their wedding. But if you love Fleur then nothing else matters."

Bill placed his hands on her hips and gently ran his strong hands up and down. His hands traveled lower. They traveled down the length of her legs and rested on her calves. Considering that her skirt had ridden up he could easily feel her strong yet feminine calves through her stockings. Tonks shivered in delight at his ministrations. She doubted that he was doing it on purpose, but again she didn't care. She leaned forward so that her chest was pressed firmly against Bill's and her forehead was resting against his. It was then that Bill opened his eyes to find her violet eyes staring back at him. She reached up and gently traced one of the scars on his face.

"What are you doing?" Bill asked a little breathlessly. His breath tickled her lips in a pleasant way.

Tonks shook her head a little bit making their noses rub together. "What are you doing?"

"I don't know." For a second neither of them moved or stopped what they were doing. "I'm so glad that you are here," Bill whispered. "I couldn't do this without you."

Tonks moved her head slightly so that her lips 'accidently' brushed his cheek. "I need to tell you something," she whispered in his ear.

Her warm breath on his ear made him shiver slightly. "What?"

Tonks wanted to tell him everything that she had been bottling up for the past month or so. All of the feelings that she had experienced when they were in school had resurfaced. She wanted to tell him how much he meant to her and how he made her feel with just a simple touch. How she had panicked when he announced his engagement to Fleur. And how she redirected her feelings onto Remus for fear of being alone. She wanted to tell him about how much it hurt her when he left for Egypt. How much it was hurting her to lose him all over again. Here was her chance and she was going to take it.

"I…I am so happy for you," she whispered. She leaned up slightly so that she could see his eyes more clearly. In a flash she was off of him and out of the door.

Bill stared after her retreating form with his heart pounding in his chest. He wanted to move, to run after her to say something but he seemed to be paralyzed from the waist down. He sat lying on the bed staring at the ceiling. He could hear the ghoul pounding away in the attic and knew he only had a couple more minutes to get ready.

* * *

Harry smiled as he watched the ceremony being performed in front of him. Fleur was gorgeous to say the least. She wore an elegant strapless wedding dress the bodice revealing her flawless figure. The skirt portion of the dress flowed out in elegant design of French frills. The train of the dress wasn't too long but most definitely was long enough to touch the floor. Her face was made up with a very dark shade of blood red lipstick and a light layer of blush. Her golden hair was pulled up into a neat bun at the back of her head. Perched on top of her head was a silver tiara that belonged to the Weasley family. She had an angelic aura about her but in Harry's opinion she looked almost frightened. Bill on the other hand gazed lovingly at his fiancée and soon to be wife. The visits he had received from his family and friends merely seconds before proved to calm him down considerably. 

"Do you, William Arthur Weasley, take this woman to be your wife?" Asked the 'minister', as he were.

Bill looked at Fleur with a loving smile on his face. "I do."

"And do you, Fleur Isabelle Delacour, take this man to be your husband?"

Fleur glanced around for a second and turned to look at Bill. "…I do."

"If anyone has just reason why these two should not be wed, speak now or forever hold your peace."

There was a silence among the wedding guests. Harry, Luna, Draco, and Hermione turned to look at Tonks from her left side. On her right side Moody, Kingsley, Mrs. Weasley and Remus looked over at her. Tonks glanced from right to left wondering what they were staring at.

"Stand up you daft girl," Moody growled softly.

"I can't do that." The minister continued talking for a second or two longer.

"You love him don't you?"

She turned to her right and saw Harry looking at her left and saw Harry looking intently at her. "…I don't know. But look at how happy he is. I could never break that."

Harry almost said something out loud but he felt a hand on his shoulder. "She needs to do this Harry," Luna whispered. The young wizard sat back down and waited for the minister to finish.

"I now pronounce you husba-"

"Wait!"

The shout hadn't come from Tonks, Mrs. Weasley, Ginny who was sitting several seats down the row, or anyone else that it would have been expected from. Bill and Charlie turned to look at Fleur whose hands were shaking.

"Fleur?" Bill asked. His eyes were blinking rapidly as if t he was trying to push this through his head.

Fleur gazed up at him with regretful pale blue eyes. "I can't," she whispered. Bill's eyes widened slightly. "I cannot do zis." There was a general murmuring among the crowd. "Bill, thought zat I could."

"Fleur, I love you," Bill whispered heartbrokenly.

Tears started to pour from her eyes and she shook her head. "I don't know anymore." She reached down and took the ring off of her finger. She handed it back to Bill with a shake of her head. "I'm sorry."

Bill looked down at the ring sullenly. His hand tightened around the ring so tightly that it cut him through the glove. "Me too." He looked back at her trying to mask his sadness with a fake smile. She never once had a doubt before he was bitten by Greyback, before he became something less than human. "I'm sorry that I'm not good enough for you." He smiled and leaned into kiss her on the cheek.

Fleur leaned back from him before running down the aisle. There was a loud murmuring among all of the wedding guests. Fleur passed by Harry in such a flash that he barely noticed her. She was soon followed by Gabrielle and her parents. Harry turned around just in time to see Bill shrug Charlie off and walk away somewhere. His parents tried to follow him but were quickly held back by Remus who shook his head. No one noticed Percy sneaking away from his spot between the twins.

"Well that was enlightening," Draco muttered sarcastically.

Bill sat on a hill that overlooked a part of the lake behind their house. The sun was setting casting its orange reflection onto the glassy surface of the water. He had thrown his jacket off to the side and kept his vest unbuttoned. He pulled his hair back into a ponytail and glared out at the lake. He was simply sitting on the grass until he picked up the ring from the ground and threw it into the lake. He ran a frustrated hand through his hair and shouted out loudly. He stood up and kicked his jacket angrily. What happened down there had come out of the blue. The pain he was feeling couldn't be described nor his anger. He hated Fleur for breaking his heart, the guests for just being there, and the entire wedding setting. Most of all he hated himself for becoming something so hideous that the woman that 'loved' him could no longer look at him. At least he could be alone up here. No one else besides him knew about this spot.

"How are you feeling?" Bill turned around and saw Percy standing in front of him with two large glasses of fire whiskey. Bill just glared at him and Percy nodded. "Right. Dumb question."

"How did you know where I was?" Bill growled. He snatched one of the glasses out of his hand, spilling some on his sleeve.

Percy smiled as Bill turned around and sat back down. Percy sat next to him, a grim smile on his face. "I remember finding you up here once. You told me you came up here when you were upset I took a shot." He sipped at his glass of fire whiskey.

Bill took a large drink of his with the expertise of that a true drinker would have done. His throat burned from the bitterness of the liquid. He blinked and said, "Forgot you were smart."

Percy shook his head and took a bigger drink. There was a moment of silence before Percy decided to say something. "I'm really sorry."

"Don't!" Bill said with a warning.

Another silence followed and again it was Percy that broke it. "You're my brother Bill. So I'm going to be completely honest with you. She wasn't right for you. And I don't think that she ever was."

Bill looked outraged by Percy's statement. He wanted to hit the younger man but couldn't bring himself to do it. He drank some more of the whiskey and set the cup down. "You have no right to say that. I mean do you think that Penelope is the right girl," he asked heatedly.

Percy shrugged. "I believe so. Do you believe in soul mates Bill?"

Bill was so taken off guard that he actually had to think about it for a second. "…No. I don't think so."

"Love?"

"Sure."

"Then I can tell you something that Penelope's grandmother told me. Since you don't believe in soul mates then here is something you can believe. The heart is big enough to let more than one person in. It's strong enough to love again." He took a larger drink of his whiskey. "And I think yours is closer than you think."

Bill paid no mind to this as he finished off his drink. "I just wasn't good enough for her. How could I be when I'm like this?" He pulled his lip down to show his fangs.

"You're a good man Bill. Much better than I am."

"You aren't very good at this are you?"

Percy shook his head. "Nope." Bill gave a small half laugh and shook his head. "So what are you going to do now?"

Bill shook his head. "No idea. I'm quitting my job at Gringotts."

"But you love your job."

"No I used to love it. But for some reason, all the life has been taken out of it. You know Professor McGonagall offered me a job at Hogwarts as the Ancient Runes teacher?"

Percy looked surprised but clapped Bill on the back. "Good for you mate. You would make an incredible runes teacher."

"…I guess. What's happening? Everything in my life is changing so fast. For once I'm not sure if I can handle it."

Percy had never heard Bill talk like that before. He would never admit it but he had always looked up to his older brother. Bill always used to speak with such confidence and radiated out onto him as well. To hear Bill say that he couldn't do something was frightening to him. Perhaps if Bill couldn't do this on his own he could rely on his friends and family to help. Unlike last time, he planned to be there to help his big brother.

"Tonks, you have to calm down," Hermione said. "Right Harry." But Harry didn't seem to hear her. He was in his own little world and had been ever since Bill ran off.

Tonks was pacing the floors of the burrow with an angry expression on her face. The aura around her was so dangerous that no one dared to get close to her. "No Harry. How could she do that to him?! Bill loved her and she just through that all away. She broke his heart! And if I see her then I'm going to break her!"

Molly got up from her seat and stood in Tonks' path. She placed her hands on her shoulders and looked her dead in the eye. "Dear you have got to calm down."

"Did you see that look on Bill's face?! Did you see what she did to him?!" She questioned furiously.

"Tonks, Mrs. Weasley is right. If you do something now, it will only hurt Bill more," Hermione said.

"Besides, William will have a second chance." Everyone turned to look at Luna. She looked up at them with eyes that looked like they held a secret n on else knew.

At that moment Fleur walked down the stairs and paused in the doorway to the living room. She turned and looked at them all with an incredibly guilty look. Tonks stood up with the intention of hexing her into oblivion. Fred and George, the only other Weasley's besides Molly in the room, jumped up in order to hold Tonks back. Fleur was lucky that the two of them were there instead of Charlie. Charlie and the rest of the family were out looking for Bill. The twins kept a firm old on Tonks to keep her from murdering the young French girl. Fleur turned away from them all and walked down the hall. She didn't make it far before they heard a scream and a thump.

Everyone started looking around to see who might have done something to the girl. When Harry and Tonks turned around, they saw Draco calmly placing his wand back in his robes. Everyone in the room turned and stared at him in surprise.

"What? It's not like Bill and I really close anyways," he said with a shrug.

Tonks smiled at him graciously. It was times like this that she was grateful for having a psychotic cousin. "Well, too bad we won't be able to see it. Right Fred?" George asked.

"Right you are George," Fred replied.

"What did you do?" Harry asked warily. He only just snapped out of his stupor when Draco cast his jinx on Fleur.

"Let's just say that she isn't going to be happy when she opens her suitcase."

Just as few seconds later they heard loud screams from Fleur and her family. Followed by the explosion of several fireworks going off at once. The twins, wearing identical looks of innocence on their faces.

* * *

It was dark when Bill and Percy finally made it back to the house. Percy had decided and Penelope agreed that they would stay as long as his parents didn't mind. It had been easy enough for Percy to make up with Charlie and his parents. The twins welcomed him back with a few of their firecrackers in the pockets of his pants. Ron and Ginny were going to take some work but they would probably come over soon. Bill walked back up to his old room in a haze. When he opened the door he noticed something sitting on his bed in the moonlight. He threw his jacket on the beaten old dresser and walked over to the bed. A small glimmer reflected off of the tiara Fleur had been wearing at the wedding. Bill picked up the tiara and held it in his hands. 

"She's really gone then?" He asked the empty room.

"Yeah."

Bill turned around and saw Tonks standing in the doorway. He could barely make her out in the dim light from the moon. However, he could tell that she was still wearing the same clothes from earlier. He fiddled with the tiara, unable to look at anything else.

"I guess that some things don't always go the way we planned?" He asked.

Tonks wasn't sure but it sounded to her like he had been crying. His voice was hoarse and a little worn out. "I suppose not."

"Everything seemed perfect. So what did I do wrong?" He asked desperately.

"Oh sweetie you didn't do anything wrong," Tonks said. She wanted so desperately to run up to him and throw her arms around him. She just wasn't sure if it was a good idea.

"…I guess I didn't deserve her. Someone…_something_ like me doesn't deserve her. I'm just a monster."

Tonks walked up to him and slapped him sharply across the face. Bill felt a stinging in his cheek and turned back to face her with wide eyes. "Don't you ever say that again!" She cried. "You are the greatest man I've ever met and she was a fool to give you up! She's the one that doesn't deserve you!"

Bill reached a hand up to touch the cheek she had slapped. "…What am I going to do?"

Tonks looked up at him and saw tears welling in his brown eyes. She felt her heart go out to the young man. He had just had his heart broken and she didn't know what to do to help him. Seeing her best friend and one of the toughest guys she knew about to cry instantly brought tears to her eyes. Throwing all of her reservations to the wind, she threw her arms around his waist and hugged him close. Bill dropped the tiara to the ground with a dull clinking sound. He gently wrapped his arms around Tonks and pulled her close to him. The two of them sat down on the bed, bathed in the moonlight. All night she held him against her and stroked his hair in a comforting manner. Neither of them knowing when they fell asleep, nor how things would turn out for them.

**End Chapter**

* * *

**Alright, that was the latest chapter. I know the wedding scene was a little short and Fleur wasn't in the story for long. She isn't exactly one of my favorite characters. Anyways, do me a favor and review. Every review you send saves a Crumple Horned Snorcack! Till next time!**


	14. Chapter 14:Kings Cross

**I know that it has been a while since I've updated. I'm truly sorry but I have been lazy and I have had a lot to deal with lately. So let's get this started.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.**

**Chapter 14: Kings Cross

* * *

**

Harry leapt to the side just in time to avoid being hit by a powerful stunning curse. He fired off a stunner of his own only to have to dive away again as another curse was sent his way. Harry came out of his roll and was breathing hard. His green eyes shifted up to his opponent for his training session. Bill Weasley didn't smile at the fact that he was outdoing Harry in their training. As a matter of fact he didn't even smirk like he normally would have. Since the catastrophe at the wedding Bill tried to show as little emotion as possible. Harry hated the fact that the carefree Bill was gone. Instead the redhead had been replaced with a somewhat depressive person whose only happiness seemed to be when he was training. Even his beloved job as Curse Breaker for Gringotts didn't bring him happiness anymore. Harry felt bad for the young man and wished that there was something he could do.

"Keep your head up Harry!" Bill commanded. Harry's head snapped up and he saw the redhead begin to raise his wand. "The enemy won't give you this same chance. _Multus Reducto!_"

Several reducto curses burst forth from Bill's wand, in sort a sort of widespread shotgun affect. Harry waved his wand over himself and there was a small flash of gold around his body as a shield appeared. Harry waited for the curses to get a little closer before he rushed in head first. One of the curses hit him dead in the chest making him groan in slight pain. His shield flickered a second before disappearing. Harry didn't let the pain or the fact that his shield was gone distract him. He continued to rush forward and before Bill could figure out was going on he found themselves rolling on the ground. Bill came out as having the better of the exchange. When they came out of the roll his wand was pointed directly at Harry's neck. Harry hadn't done too badly himself as he was able to keep his wand pointed at Bill's waist. However, since it wasn't exactly a kill point Bill had one the match.

For the first time in the past few weeks Bill actually gave a smile. It was small and virtually unnoticeable but it was there. "Not bad Harry. Using the shield charm like that to take the hit. Good idea."

Harry withdrew his wand and so did Bill. The young man found himself to be breathing hard and beads of sweat were trickling down his forehead. "I was having a hard time keeping up," he admitted.

Bill stood up and pulled Harry to his feet. "Why don't you take a break? You definitely earned it."

"Thanks." Harry watched Bill leave the training room that they had set up in the basement of Grimmauld Manor with a shake of his head. Figuring that his training was over for the day Harry walked over and sat next to Mad Eye Moody. "Professor," Harry acknowledged.

Moody had been sitting off to the side watching Harry and the others train. He was there to make sure that the training sessions ran smoothly and to offer advice. On a couple occasions he would even get involved in their training in a physical way. Those were the only times that Harry and the others had to fear actually being physically hurt. Sure Bill, Tonks, and Remus were tough on them but Moody would hit them that much harder. The former auror didn't believe in coddling those that were still in training. In fact his favorite phrase besides _'constant vigilance' _was: _If it doesn't hurt then it isn't working!_

The ex-auror turned towards Harry, his scarred face slid into a lopsided grin. "Not bad Potter. That was a fast bit of thinking out there," he praised.

Harry smiled. Getting praise from Alastor Moody was like winning the lottery. "Thank you," Harry breathed. "I realized a while ago that the multiple reducto curse is like a muggle shotgun. The further away the target is the more it spreads out."

Moody nodded in understanding. "It's best used at close range. So you waited for the curses to spread out as far as possible. Then you set up a shield to block the one that has a chance of hitting you. Not bad."

Harry wiped the sweat from his forehead with a small towel sitting nearby. His emerald eyes shifted out to watch the others train. Luna and Remus were off to the side of the room dueling one another. Harry noticed that they were practicing using two wands at the same time. It was impossible to notice how much Luna had progressed in their training sessions. Her skills were remarkable and her ability to learn seemed to be unparalleled. His eyes shifted over so that he could watch Draco and Hermione practice their sword movements. The two of them were still on unfriendly terms since their last argument but Draco agreed with Harry to train her. After all he didn't want to work with a weakling.

Harry turned his attention back to Moody and nodded. "I was having a hard time keeping up with Bill though" he admitted sheepishly.

Moody gave him a raspy laugh and shook his head. "I would be surprised if you didn't! The kid wasn't named the best rookie auror for no reason."

Harry nodded to what Moody said before he actually thought about. He turned to look at Moody with a questioning gaze. "Did you say that Bill was an auror?"

"He never said anything about it to you?" Harry shook his head hoping that Moody would continue with the information. "When I say this don't take it the wrong way. I think that Nymphadora has turned out to be one hell of an auror. But Bill had about three times the potential that she had. He could have become one of the best."

"So whatever happened?"

Moody sighed in trepidation. "I'm not sure that I'm the one that should be telling you that lad."

Harry was about to ask more questions when a shadow fell over them. He looked up and saw Luna and Remus standing over them. Both of them were quite out of breath and sweating quite a bit. He noticed a small smile on Remus' face and knew that he had won. Though judging by the looks of him it was a rather close match.

"So how did it go?" Moody asked.

"Remus beat me," Luna replied. She didn't seem angry or even upset that she had lost.

Remus rolled his eyes. "She came pretty damn close though." The lycan straightened up and placed a hand on Luna's head. "She's a lot stronger than I expected."

There were very few situations when Luna would actually blush. Getting complimented was one of those times. "I'm not that good."

"She's modest to," Moody replied. "I'd say that you have a natural talent for dueling. Wouldn't you agree Potter?"

Harry jumped at the mention of his name. His mind was still wrapped around the idea of Bill being a former auror. "Even though she won't admit it. I think that there are a lot of natural things about her."

Luna smiled warmly at Harry and he returned the smile. Remus looked over their heads at Moody and the two shared a knowing smirk. "I bet that you do."

Everyone turned around and saw Draco standing there. In his hands was a sword with a katana style blade. The handle was made of thick ebony. The blade was crafted out of highly polished silver. Despite the components that the sword was made of it was very light weight. The sword had many uses and quickly became the weapon of choice for all four of the teens. Hermione was standing behind Draco holding a copy of his katana. Unlike Draco she was sweating rather hard and breathing quite heavily. Still she had a smirk very similar to everyone else's.

"Alright, everyone," Moody said with a nod. "Good work today. I think that we should call it quits for now though."

Remus nodded. "I agree with Alastor. Take the rest of your days to yourself. And we can start fresh tomorrow."

Remus and moody turned to leave the basement turned training room. The girls followed close behind them, followed by Draco. "Hey Draco can you wait up for a second?"

Draco turned around and looked at Harry suspiciously. "…Sure."

Hermione stuck her head back inside of the door and looked at them curiously. "Are you guys coming."

"You go ahead. I need to talk to Draco for a second."

Hermione shrugged and walked back out of the basement. "Okay," Draco turned back to look at Harry, "what is this about Harry?" The young Slytherin sat down next to Harry and ran a hand through his platinum blond hair. "Must be important if you couldn't say in front of Granger."

"…Well I was thinking that school is starting again in three days."

"Right. So what are you getting at?"

"Nothing really," Harry answered uneasily.

"I know you better than that Harry," Draco said. Harry turned and saw Draco staring intently at him with silver eyes. He really did know him better. "What are you thinking in that Gryffindor brain of yours?"

"...I know that we sid we wouldn't go back to Hogwarts this year," Harry said quietly. "But what if we could go back and be teachers?"

Draco's eyebrows knitted together before he finally shook his head. "What the hell are you talking about Potter?" The Slytherin rubbed the back of his head with a pained sort of grimace. "You know that students can't become teachers."

"But if we could would you be willing to go back to school?"

"What would we do about the Horcruxes?" Draco sighed. "It's not like we can just forget about them."

"Well school is in a couple more days," Harry replied. "However, we could devote all of our weekends to studying them. Plus we get more than enough time off during the holidays to look for them. What do you say?" Harry asked almost eagerly.

Draco stood up and paced the floor for a second. "My grades have been rather high the past six years," he stated in contemplation. "What makes you think that we have any chance of being hired as teachers though?"

Harry smirked smugly. It was as if he was privy to knowledge that Draco didn't even know existed. "Trust me."

"Hn. That's supposed to be my line."

Later that day everyone was sitting in the parlor doing nothing in particular. Harry was looking through a book that Remus had given him on the four founders of Hogwarts. He was hoping that maybe he could find out more about them. If he did then maybe he could deduce what form Voldemort's horcruxes were taking. Earlier in the day Draco had been summoned by his dark mark to another Death Eater meeting and had been gone ever since. Hermione was sitting on the couch with Bill and Tonks. She was listing potion ingredients that they were running low on and Bill or Tonks would tell her if it was a good idea to get them. Luna was sitting in the chair next to Harry working on one of her summer assignments. Harry groaned and buried his head in his hands. He had been at it all day and had gotten virtually nowhere.

"Relaxing is essential to victory." Harry turned to look at Luna who was still staring down at the book in her hands. "Perhaps you should take a break."

Harry chuckled and nodded. "Maybe you are right. We're going to have a long day tomorrow."

"What are we doing?"

"Well if you want to go back to school we're going to have to get our books aren't we?" Harry asked with a lazy grin.

Hermione's head shot up from her list. A wide grin spit across her face. "Does that mean that we are going back to school?!" She asked in childish excitement.

"Yes," Harry nodded, "if you still want to go?"

"Of course I still want to go!" Hermione nearly shouted. "Thank you Harry!"

"Well you have kept up your end of the bargain pretty well. I had a part to keep up as well."

Tonks smiled brightly at the younger wizard. "I'm glad that you changed your mind mate. I guess I'll see you there since I'm working security."

The expression on Bill's face didn't change but he did give a nod. "They really can't keep you away from that place."

Harry smiled and turned back to look at Luna. She didn't look surprised, well any more than usual, but was just smiling serenely. "You don't look too surprised Luna," Harry remarked.

"I knew that you would come around," she sang lightly. "I know you better mthan you know yourself." Luna didn't say it to brag but merely as a simple statement.

"Oh is that so?"

"I think that she does," Tonks replied. " A large percentage of women know most men better than they know themselves. We are just more intuitive and observant than they are." Bill scoffed, causing Tonks to glare at him. "Do you have something to add William?"

"As a matter of fact I do," Bill answered. "First of all don't call me William. And I was just hoping that you weren't including yourself in that percentage of women."

Hermione's brown eyes shifted from side to side. Without saying a word she stood up and walked over to the chair that Harry and Luna were in. There was no way that she wanted to be caught in between the two of them. She sat on the arm of the chair and the three tens watched their friends. Tonks placed her hands on her hips and glared at Bill. It looked she was going to attack him at any moment.

"And just what is that supposed to mean?" She asked in mock anger.

A light smile of triumph appeared on Bill's face. "Earlier on you ran into the couch then tripped over your own feet."

The heat rose in Tonk's face making her blush. "W—well the thing is...I just..." she stuttered.

Luckily she was saved the embarrasssment by Mrs. Weasley who came in to announce that dinner was ready. The five of them stood up and walked into the kitchen. The headquarters was rather empty today. Professor McGonagall had come by earlier in the day but left soon after. Remus had gone with her mentioning something about having some business to attend to. Moody had left with Wesley to conduct some business of their own. Mr. Weasley actually came by only to have to leave to deal with a crisis at the Ministry. So that just left the six of them for dinner tonight.

"Alright everyone. Have a seat, the food will be up shortly. Draco not joining us tonight?"

"He had a meeting to attend," Hermione replied.

Molly shivered and shook her head. "I do hate it when he goes to those things. It's too dangerous for someone in his possession."

"It would be more dangerous for him not to go," Bill replied. "Not only would he not be getting anymore information but they would start to suspect him."

"Besides that he is a Malfoy," Tonks replied. "I wouldn't worry about him too much."

"Yes. Draco would not be stupid enough to jeapordize himself or his mission," Luna chipped in.

Though Harry nodded along with her he was thinking something else in his mind. _'I hope that Luna is right. Not that I'm worried about Draco or anything. Not at all. But he does like to brag a bit. If he slips up then we could all be in trouble.'

* * *

_

Draco took a deep breath in an attempt to keep himself calm. He was sitting at a large table in what was obviously a dining room. The dining room was large and lavishly decorated with the colors and emblem of the Slytherin house. The table itself was long with each leg carved like a snake. The cherry wood of the table was painted black and had at least a dozen chairs surrounding it. In each chair was a cloaked member of the Death Eaters. So far the roster included: Voldemort, Severus Snape, Lucius Malfoy, Antonin Dolohov, Bellatrix Lestrange, Rodolpus Lestrange, Alecto Carrow, Amycus Carrow, Yaxley, Frenrir Greyback, Blaise Zabini and himself. Throughout the entire meeting Draco had been staring intently at his father, trying to get him to look over his way. For his part Lucius ignored his son and paid rapt attention while the others spoke.

"Dolohov," Voldemort requested quietly. His cold voice carried through the room making most of the present members feel uncomfortable. "How has our latest attempt at freeing the others gone."

Dolohov's tense form relaxed with the asked question. "The mission was successful my lord. With the aurors spread across the country side the plan was bound to succeed."

"Where are they now?"

"Wormtail has taken them to the reserve hedquarters," Yaxley replied. "He's filling them in on all of the new happenings."

"...Good." The two men released baited breaths and relaxed in their chairs. "Bellatrix, how are the arrangements for the attack on Kings Cross coming along?"

Draco watched the witches face light up in excitement for her chance to please her master. With her wide eyes and eager attitude it gave her the appearance of a dog trying to please it's master with a cheap trick. It made the young Slytherin sick to his stomach. Wait just one second. Did Voldemort say that there was going to be an attack on Kings Cross! Draco's silver eyes shot up and locked on to Bellatrix.

"The preperations for the attack are nearly complete my lord," Bellatrix reported. "The day after tomorrow anyone on that platform will be killed."

Lucius shook his head as his former sister in law cackled. "Do not forget the main point of the attack Bellatrix," he spat. "The whole reason that we are launching this attack is the hope that it will draw Potter out."

Draco's eyes widened slightly in shock. "Shit," he hissed under his breath.

Snape quirked an eyebrow in intrigue. Over the past few meetings he had noticed a change in the young Malfoy. Tonight he was even more different than he had been in the past. "Is there something that you would like to contribute Mr. Malfoy."

Draco's head snapped up. He glared at his former teacher for a second before shaking his head. "No. It's just a little ironic. You see, Potter has decided to go back to school." In a rare show of obedience he stared directly into Voldemorts crimson eyes. "Your plan will not fail my lord."

A sneer settled on the pale face of the dark lord. "Finally, the snake will ensnare the rat."

After another hour or so the meeting had finally ended. Draco grabbed his cloak off his chair and hopped to his feet. He walked quickly towards the door attempting to be the first one out. He needed to get back to Grimmauld Manor and warn the Order. He threw open the wooden doors and walked out into the lobby. Just before he reached the front door he froze. An icy chill ran down his spine almost making him drop his cloak. He turned around, his right hand clenching in anger. Lucius stood before him looking more smug than her ever had. Draco's left hand released his cloak, letting it fall to the ground. His hand itched to reach out for his wand but he stayed it. Dying to accomplish his goal didn't bother him but he still had a job to do for the Order of the Phoenix.

"Where do you think that you are heading off to my son?" Lucius asked in his deep drawl.

Draco tensed in anger but managed to hold his tongue. Picking a fight here wouldn't be a good idea. "I have to get back to my post. I have a job to do."

Lucius smirked evilly at his son. "Not tonight." Draco's narrowed his eyes, waiting for an explanation. "The dark lord thinks that it would be better for you to stay here. At least until it is time to go back to school." Draco tensed up. A fact that didn't go unnoticed by Lucius. "To keep an eye on you."

Draco's eyes narrowed and his hands began to shake. Did Voldemort know what he had been up to? Even if he didn't he had to get a message to Harry. Somehow he had to warn him of the attack.

* * *

The next day at Grimmauld place had everyone set on edge; especially Harry and Luna. Neither of them had heard from Draco since he had gone to his meeting. That's why the two of them were so tense about heading to Diagon Alley today. They weren't the only ones made edgy by Draco's unusual absence. Moody decided that it wouldn't be a good idea for them to go alone today. In fact he was so paranoid that he decided to send Wesley and Tonks with them. So Harry, Luna, Hermione, Tonks and Wesley were walking to their designated apparition point. After about twenty minuts the group made it to an out of the way alley.

"Is everyone ready?" Wesley asked.

Harry rubbed at the back of his neck; his sweater rode down just enough for the beak of his phoenix tattoo show. "I guess we are."

Luna gave him a small smile. She was worried about Draco as well. "I'm sure that he's fine." Harry didn't respond but Luna was sure that he had heard her. Having learned to apparate on her own she stepped into position.

"Okay everyone. Go ahead and go," Wesley ordered. Several audible cracks announced the that the others had apparated. Wesley followed their example and landed in the middle of the group. "Okay everyone. Stay close to us and don't talk to anyone that you don't trust."

"Yes Kings-er-Wesley!" Tonks said in an overexaggerated salute.

Wesley turned to her with a mocking laugh. "Ha ha," he said drolly. "Your a real comedian Nymphadora."

Tonks glared and followed him down the street. She began to mutter very unkind things about her mother for giving her that name. Hermione tapped her two friends and whispered, "These are the two that are supposed to protect us?"

"We heard that!" Wesley called back over his shoulder.

Hermione pulled a face that clearly said 'whoops!' Harry laughed and followed after the two aurors. Luna didn't even seem to notice what was going on as she was too busy looking at the clouds. Something about this annoyed Harry a little bit. He didn't like having people there to watch over him. Nor did he like people being put in danger for his benefit. However, this wasn't something that he would be able to argue with the two of them. There was no way that Tonks would let him go off on his own and Wesley seemed to take his job just as seriously.

"We need to get our robes why we are here," Luna stated out of the blue.

Harry looked at her curiously for a second before her words hit him like a ton of bricks. They had never picked up the battle robes that they had ordered from Madame Malkins. Surely they had to be finished by now! Harry walked up to the front so that he was standing next to Tonks.

"Hey Tonks! I forgot that we need to pick up some battle robes that we ordered from Madame Malkins."

Tonks rubbed her chin in thought before nodding. "Okay. Hey Wes, I'm gonna go pick up their robes. You stay with them while they go to get their books."

Wesley saluted. "You got it boss!"

"Don't call me that! I'll meet up with you guys at Florean Fortesques." The metamorpagus waved to Harry and the others before going off to her destination.

"No offense but you and Bill seem really frightened of her," Harry said.

"Damn right. That girl is really scary!" Wesley exclaimed.

The group walked into Flourish & Blotts and were immediately hit by a sea of people. As usual students were trying their best to obtain their books at the last possible minute. Harry recognized several people that he had seen around Hogwarts but didn't know the names of. Out of the corner of his eyes Harry saw a group of Slytherins that he knew all too well. Harry turned around and immediately started to look at the shelf of books. He was hoping that the new haircut might hide who he was.

Luna walked up next to him so that their faces were almost touching. She stared in the same direction as Harry in a curious fashion. "Harry are you alright?" Luna asked. "Did you see a Snipping Snogar?"

Harry turned and looked on Luna with emerald green eyes. "Luna what are you talking about?"

"You look like you have seen somthing surprising."

Harry shook his head. "No nothing," he answered softly. His eyes shifted noticing the absence of their two companions. "Where did Hermione and Wesley go?"

"Wesley went to go talk to a friend of his." She pointed over to where Wesley was talking to a rather pale skinned girl his age. "And Hermione went to go and buy some new quills."

Harry turned around and ran a hand through his black and green locks. "I just see some Slytherins over there. I'm not too keen on running into them."

Luna didn't even look to where Harry indicated. "How do you think Draco is doing?" She asked nonchalantly.

"You are really worried about him aren't you?"

Luna nodded. "I know that everyone keeps saying his Malfoy blood will keep him safe. But the truth is that he is human just like us. He needs help Harry," she whispered, "he just won't admit it."

Harry sighed and patted her on the shoulder. "I'm sure that Draco is fine. When he gets back we'll give him all of the help that he needs."

"Thank you Harry." Luna gave him one of her rare smiles and he smiled back.

"Well, if it isn't Harry Potter and Luna Lovegood," said an annoying voice.

Harry groaned and turned to look at the unwanted visitors. The group of Slytherins that he had spotted earlier had made their way over to him. At the front of the group was Pansy Parkinson. Pansy was a short, Hard faced Slytherin girl that took up the role of leader when Draco wasn't around. Behind her were two very large boys named Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle. What the two of them lacked in brains they more than made up for in muscle. Standing just to the side of them was a weedy looking boy that Harry knew as Theodore Nott. Seeing the clever boy with this group was odd as he usually preferred to keep to himself. Out of reflex Harry stepped forward so that Luna was halfway hidden behind him.

"Wow Potter you actually look halfway decent for once," Pansy sneered. She turned and smiled at Luna in an almost predatory way. "Too bad you are still clinging to the dregs." Crabbe and Goyle guffawed stupidly but Nott remained silence.

"If I was clinging to the dregs I would be with your fathers in Azkaban," Harry remarked snidely. Crabbe and Goyle tried to advance on him but Pansy held her arms out to stop them. "Hm? Sad that when Draco leaves you become the brains."

Pansy's faces contorted into an ugly sneer, which in Harry's opinion wasn't much of a change. "You may be strong Potter but I don't like your odds of four on two." She started to reach for her wand but was cut off by a deep voice.

"I think that introductions should be made in this case." Wesley walked over to the group of teens with a smile on his face. "But the four of you look familiar anyways. I wonder if you all wouldn't happen to be junior Death Eaters." He gave a big smile and pulled his coat away revealing a silver aurors badge. "I could have sworn that I've met your fathers."

Once again Crabbe and Goyle tried to draw their wands. This time though they were stopped by Nott. "You fools wouldn't stand a chance against an auror." He turned to Harry and fixed him with a glare. "I don't like this arrangement," he motioned towards the group next to him. "But I rpomise you will pay for what you did to my father." With that said the young Slytherin walked away.

"You won't have your friend here to protect you at school Potter!" Pansy sneered. She turned around and stalked off, followed by Crabbe and Goyle.

Wesley watched them go with a shake of his head. "Wankers."

"Thank you for your assisstance Wesley," Luna replied.

Harry nodded. "Yeah. I didn't want to start a fight in here."

"No problem. I just didn't know that you were this popular Harry." He checked his watch and shook his head. " Come on. We need to get your books so that we can go and meet Tonks."

Harry watched the moon through the window of the parlor at number twelve Grimmauld Place. After getting their books, robes and making a stop for Wesley they returned to headquarters. It had been hours and Draco still hadn't returned to the headquarters. Harry and Luna were starting to go mad waiting for him to come back. Even Hermione was a little worried about the Slytherin's late return. It was obvious that something must have happened to him while he was at the meeting. Did Voldemort finally figure out what Draco was up to? Was Draco actually double crossing them? Maybe he was dead? Even though Hermione hated Draco none of those thoughts were too appealing to her. Looking at her companions she expected to see the concern on Luna's face. Even as the blond retained her blank look her worry was obvious. What she didn't expect was to see the worry on Harry's face. It looked as though he was worried for the life of his best friend.

"That's it!" Harry cried, jumping to his feet. He grabbed his cloak off the back of the couch and wrapped it around his shoulders.

"Where are you going?!" Hermione asked.

"I have an idea where the Death Eater meetings are. I'm going to go and check it out!"

"I'm going with you," Luna stated.

"No. You are going to stay here."

"Both of you are going to stay here!" Hermione nearly shouted. She jumped to her feet and got in between them and the door. "You two are staying right here. You must be nuts to go and try that!"

"Hermione something must have happened to Draco!" Harry replied angrily. "We have to go and help him if we can."

"You don't even know if anything is wrong," she argued. "And even if you find him how will you help?! The place is probably swarming with Death Eaters! Harry think about this!"

Harry's breathing was becoming uneven as he supressed the urge to just push Hermione aside. Instead he turned around and kicked savagely at the couch. "Dammit!" He turned and sat down on the couch. "I made him a deal," he sighed.

Before Hermione could say anything the fire burst to life. The three teens shared a look and walked closer to the fire. A face started to form in the flames. After a second or two the face took on the appearance of Draco. He looked a little harried but otherwise fine.

"Draco? Are yo alright?" Luna asked instantly.

Draco looked at her and nodded. "I don't have much time. Harry you have to listen to me." Harry nodded. "The Death Eaters are going to attack the platform tomorrow."

"What?! When?!" Harry cried.

"Just before the train is cheduled to leave. Tell the others. Take my stuff and I will meet you-Shit!"" All of a sudden his head disappeared from the fire.

"Draco!" Harry called out to him.

There was some shouting on the other end, then the fire died out. Harry pulled his head back and looked down at the ground. Hermione and Luna shared a glance before turning to look at Harry. The savior had his eyes closed and was making no move to show that he noticed them.

"What are we going to do Harry?" Luna asked managing to keep her voice level.

Harry looked up and stared directly ahead. The embers of the fire reflected in his deep emerald pools. "...We are going to do what we have to do."

**The Next Day**

Harry pressed himself back against the leather upholstery of the Ministry appointed car taking them to Kings Cross. Arthur had been able to get them a couple of ministry cars to take them to the station. Sitting on either side of him was Hermione and Luna. Hermione looked a little tired and Luna was positively exhausted. She had stayed up all night worrying about Draco. Sitting across from him were Fred, Bill and George. The three redheads seemed to be deep in thought. This was a rare ocrrence for the twins but it gave them a very professional look. Bill leaned forward in his seat and stared straight at Harry.

"Okay, let's go over the plan," he said. "Tonks, Wesley, Kingsley, Moody, Emmeline and Mundungus are all in place." Harry nodded. "Our goal is to get three of you on that train no matter what."

"No," Harry said simply.

"Excuse me?"

"The people on that platform are my schoolmates. I won't run and hide while they are in danger."

Fred smirked and nodded. "Should have known that was coming."

"Chivalrous git can never do what he's told," George added in.

"We're staying to," Hermione answered.

"I go wherever Harry goes," Luna stated firmly.

Bill smirked. "At least I can tell the others that I tried. Just try and stay close to us."

The rest of the ride to the station was spent in silence. As soon as they reached Kings Cross they grabbed their trunks out of the backs of the cars. Harry even grabbed Draco's trunk and handed it to Fred. He pulled Hedwig's cage out and made sure that she was firmly attached to the rest of his stuff. **(A.N: Don't ask about where she has been. I forgot about her until now!) **The group made their way to the barrier and waited for a second. Bill ran at the solid looking brick wall and disappeared inside of it. Then Harry followed with his stuff, Hermione, Luna and then the twins. As soon as they reached the other side the sight of the Hogwarts Express greeted them. All over the platform students were saying goodbye to their parents. Harry noticed several of their classmates and hoped they wouldn't get caught in the crossfire.

"Okay let's form up," Bill ordered. He and the twins moved into position so that they formed a triangle around the teens. 'It's almost time. Start to move towards the train. If things get bad we have to go."

They started to walk towards the train and Harry took a look at his surroundings. He couldn't see any of the other order members waiting to attack. Maybe that's why they were the ones chosen for this mission. Without warning the sky above them started to darken. Before anyone had the chance to react several wizards apparated onto the platform. All of them were dressed in black cloaks and bone white masks. As soon as they started to draw their wands that's when it happened. The other members of the order appeared seemingly out of nowhere and the battle began.

Curses were flying everywhere making bystanders on the platform scream and move to protect their children. Some of the more experienced wizards and students drew their wands to enter the fray. Harry aimed and took down a Death Eater with a well aimed stunning spell. Not too far away Harry saw his classmate Neville Longbottom duck behind a pillar. The somewhat portly young man had his wand out and was firing into the group of Death Eaters. Harry ducked just in time to avoid being hit by a Cruciatus curse. Bill brought down one of the Death Eaters with a multiple reducto spell. He turned around and threw himself in front of Fred; a bone breaker curse hit him square in the shoulder knocking him to the ground.

"Bill!" George called out.

Fred grabbed Bill by his good arm and pulled him inside the train. "I got him! Stay with Harry! What the hell is wrong with you?!"

George swung around and hit the Death Eater that fired on his brothers. The force of the curse blew the dark wizard into a pillar, knocking him out cold. Harry turned back around and saw that a Death Eater had one of the students by her throat. Harry recognized the girl as Katie Bell. She was a girl on the Gryffindor Quidditch team that should have graduated last year. Abandoning the formation, and calls of the girls, he rushed to his friends aid. Harry ran up on the attacker and gave him a strong shoulder tackle. The force of his attack made the man drop Katie and tumble to the ground. Harry dropped down to check on the girl. She was alive but just unconcious from the lack of air. He tried to pull her up but a strong curse hit him in the back.

Harry fell forward and rolled onto his back with a cough. A very large Death Eater was standing over him. Harry tried to lift his hands up to fire a double attack from his wands. The dark wizard was faster though and placed his foot over Harry's neck. With his right hand the Death Eater removed his mask to reveal an ugly face. A face that Harry knew far too well. Walden McNair stared down at Harry with a sick sense of satisfaction. His lips curled into a hideous smirk making Harry goan in disgust.

"Well if it isn't Harry Potter," he sneered. "How the dark lord will reward me when I deliver you to him. You will always remember the name Walden McNair. Aveda Kedav-ARRRRRRGGGHHHH!"

Harry twisted the dagger in his leg forcing McNair's foot off of his throat. A stunner hit McNair in his side and launched him into the air. The executioner hit the train with a loud thud and fell to the ground unconcious. A hand hovered over Harry offering him assisstance. Harry gathered his wands in one hand and accepted the offered hand with his other. Harry got to his feet and saw a pale young boy with black hair staring back at him. The boy was wearing a haughty smirk that Harry knew all too well.

"Draco?!" Harry asked in shock.

The smirk on the boys face widened confirming Harry's suspicion. "Always saving your life Potter!"

"Bloody good to see you!" Harry shouted over the noise. He grabbed Draco and pulled him aside, saving him from a curse that was aimed directly at his head. Harry and Draco retaliatedby firing a dual bludgeoning curse that hit the Death Eater, sending him skidding across the ground. "How did you get here?!"

"They think that I'm on the train! I'll explain it all to you later!"

"Katie!" Harry and Draco turned around to see George shaking the girl. "Katie get up!"

"Get her out of here George!" Harry told him. "We'll give you cover!"

George nodded. He tucked his wand into his belt and lifted the injured girl into his arms. He turned around and started running towards the nearest door to the train. Harry and Draco ran in front of him firing off curses from both wands. Harry watched Mundungus get up close to one of the Death Eaters and deliver a sharp kick to the head that sent his opponent reeling! Tonks and Wesley were back to back firing curses at any Death Eater that got in their way. Slowly but surely they were winning.

"I got her on!" George called from behind them.

The boys nodded and moved away from the train to take cover. Draco could see Hermione, Fred, and Luna fighting over on the far side of the platform. A Death Eater was sneaking up on them and they didn't even notice it. Draco leveled wand and used his arm to steady it. _"Impedimenta!"_ The bolt of magic burst from his wand and soared right between the girls, ruffling their hair. His aim was true; the attack hit his target dead in the chest. Both of the girls turned to look in his direction and he simply nodded at them.

Harry aimed around the corner and fired off an errant stunning curse. "I think that they are starting to give up!"

"Well we won't find out if we stay behind this pillar!" Draco said. A curse hit the stone near his head blowing achunk out of the pillar. "Are you ready?!"

Harry nodded and raised both of his wands. "I'll go left and you go right!"

As if counting to three in their heads the two teens ran out from behind the pillar with their wands blazing. Hermione ducked behind a pillar to avoid getting hit by a curse. Luna fired off a stunner that hit a Death Eater in the arm. Curses were flying all around her but she didn't move an inch. Realizing the danger that her friend was in Hermione reached out and pulled Luna behind the pillar. Hermione glared at the girl for her lack of preservation skills.

"Are you crazy Luna!" She shrieked. "You could have been killed!"

Luna cocked her head to the side as though in thought. "Who do you think that boy was that saved us?"

Hermione shook her head. "Who knows! Look I think that this is almost over!"

The Death Eaters were backing up towards the edge of the platform. Not only had they been taken off guard by the surprise defense but the combined power of the order members and the students was too much for them. Most of the Death Eaters managed to make it towards the edge of the platform. Without warning they disappeared by means of portkey. The skys above the platform seemed to clear up almost instantly. The blue skys hidden by grey a short moment ago reappeared. Harry and Draco looked at each other and nodded. They raised their arms in the air and tapped the back of their wrists together. This was a major win for their side. This wouldn't go unnoticed by Voldemort or his followers.

* * *

**End Chapter**

**Sorry that it took me so long to update this story. Laziness, my job and worrying about money were all factors. Anyways, I hope that you all enjoyed and I would really appreciate reviews. Peace!**

**  
**


End file.
